ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission has taken steps to encourage the use of doorstep canvassing in increasing registration.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that under section 9A of the Representation of the People Act 1983 electoral registration officers (EROs) are required to visit, at least once, any property for which an annual canvass form has not been returned.
	The Commission has produced comprehensive guidance for EROs, which outlines this legal responsibility. Prior to each canvass, the Commission issues a circular to EROs reminding them of this guidance.
	In addition, the Commission has recently published performance standards for EROs. The standards cover the extent to which EROs use house-to-house inquiries to ensure that all eligible residents are registered. The Commission will publish its assessment of EROs' performance against the standards in spring 2009.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to measure the effectiveness of electoral registration officers in increasing levels of registration.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that in July 2008 it published 10 performance standards for electoral registration officers (EROs) covering the following key areas:
	planning and organisation;
	participation;
	integrity and completeness; and
	accuracy of the electoral register.
	Three of these standards deal specifically with:
	sources of information used by EROs to verify records on the electoral register and identify potential new electors;
	sources of information used by EROs to ensure all relevant properties are included in the database; and
	the extent to which EROs use house-to-house inquiries to ensure that all eligible residents are registered.
	The Commission will shortly be assessing EROs against these standards and will publish an assessment in spring 2009.

Members: Misconduct

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many allegations of misconduct by hon. and right hon. Members the Electoral Commission has received in the last five years; how many such allegations it investigated; how many such allegations were dismissed  (a) following an investigation and  (b) without an investigation having been held; what the cost was of the 10 most expensive such investigations; and what the average cost was of investigations.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it received 16 allegations of misconduct against hon. and right hon. Members in the last five years.
	The Commission further informs me that it opened formal investigations into four of these allegations. One of the investigations is ongoing; one resulted in a referral to the police and is presently pending; and one resulted in a voluntary forfeiture of a donation. The other case was closed without further action being warranted.
	The 12 remaining allegations were dismissed or otherwise resolved without the need for a formal investigation.
	The Electoral Commission does not record expenditure in relation to individual investigations and is therefore unable to provide costs.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: Due to the processes involved in making payments for expenses to officials, for both the Northern Ireland Office and its Executive agencies, it would only be possible to separate the reimbursement of taxi fares at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agricultural Products: EU Action

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the EU Council of Ministers' common position on the Regulation for Placing Plant Protection Products on the Market on arable and horticultural production in England reached on 23 June 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The pesticides safety directorate published an assessment of the agronomic impact of the restrictions set out in the Commission's original proposals in May 2008. The impacts of the common position are expected to be very similar. A copy of the assessment has been placed in the Library of the House.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to pay single farm payments to all farmers at the same time; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The EU payment window for the single payment scheme (SPS) runs from 1 December to 30 June and the Rural Payment Agency (RPA) aims to ensure that payments are made as early as possible within that payment window. However in line with detailed EU regulations, before making each payment, RPA is required to perform detailed validity checks including carrying out cross-checks against all other SPS applicants to ensure that there are no dual claims. The timing of each payment will therefore vary according to the complexity of the claim with simple claims processed and paid quickly and more complex claims taking longer.
	In order to pay all claimants on the same day, RPA would have to delay making any payments until the last claim had completed validation.

Agriculture: Temporary Employment

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the return rate was of workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Information is not collected on the return rates of workers who have participated in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS).
	Since 1 January 2008, SAWS has been restricted to Romania and Bulgaria. As European Economic Area nationals, there is no requirement for them to leave the United Kingdom upon completion of their SAWS placement.

Angling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce angling-only areas; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have no current plans to introduce sea angling-only areas. However, DEFRA is funding research to explore whether closing specific coastal areas to commercial fishing with nets and lines (alongside limits on angling such as catch and release requirements or bag limits) would improve sea bass survival. The project is also assessing whether such restricted-catch areas could provide benefits to anglers. Emerging results from this project will be published shortly and discussed with stakeholders, although the final report is not due until 2011.
	In inland waters, the vast majority of fishing is by angling and in many lakes and rivers the only form of fishing allowed is angling. The Environment Agency has responsibility for regulating salmon and freshwater fisheries in England and Wales. It has a statutory duty to maintain, improve and develop these fisheries. The Environment Agency's approach is to seek to ensure first that target stocks of fish are maintained at satisfactory levels and that fishing is undertaken in a sustainable way. In some places only angling is permitted. Where different fishing methods are allowed, the level of fishing is regulated by controls on effort and the restrictions on exploitation are balanced between the types of fishing allowed, for example, between nets and rods.

Animal Welfare Act

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 856W, on the Animal Welfare Act 2006, when he expects to complete the review of the timetable for the delivery of secondary legislation and codes under the Animal Welfare Act 2006; when he expects to implement secondary legislation in relation to  (a) racing greyhounds,  (b) pet fairs,  (c) primates as pets,  (d) wild animals in circuses,  (e) the cat code,  (f) the dog code,  (g) pet shops,  (h) game birds,  (i) animal (cat and dog) boarding,  (j) tethering of horses,  (k) livery yards,  (l) riding schools,  (m) animal sanctuaries and  (n) performing animals; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The proposed timetable for the introduction of secondary legislation and codes under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has been adjusted so that it takes account of those areas which parliament regards as a priority.
	In 2009, the Department will be issuing a commencement order allowing s8(3)-(6) of the 2006 Act to come into force (provisions relating to the recording of animal fights); a cat welfare code; a dog welfare code; and an equine welfare code. In addition, it is proposed to issue the following consultation documents in 2009: draft proposals on regulating the welfare of racing greyhounds; a draft gamebird rearing code; a draft code on the private keeping of primates; and draft proposals on the transposition of EU legislation concerning the welfare of meat chickens.
	It remains the Government's intention to review other animal related activities, in due course.

Animals: Electronic Tagging

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2008, O fficial Report, column 1075W, on animals: electronic tagging, when he expects the proposed Exemption Order under the Veterinary Surgeons Act in relation to permitting lay persons and non-veterinarians to wing and web tag non-farmed birds for conservation purposes to be in force; whether the exemption order has been drafted; whether he has consulted the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on the exemption order; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Exemption Order is in preparation and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will shortly be consulted. We anticipate that the Exemption Order will come into force in spring 2009.

Badgers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the badger population in England.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2008
	Surveys of badger populations in Great Britain were undertaken in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In the mid-1980s the badger population was estimated to be 250,000 and in the mid-1990s a survey estimated the population to have increased by 77 per cent.

Bees: Diseases

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the additional £90,000, announced for research into bee colony collapse on 17 June 2008, has been allocated.

Jane Kennedy: This funding has been allocated to the National Bee Unit (NBU). The Welsh Assembly Government have also allocated an additional £30,000 to the NBU to investigate colony losses in Wales.

Bees: Diseases

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken in response to the reported 30 per cent. bee population loss in winter 2007; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this loss on food security; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Reports of significant colony losses are being investigated as a high priority. To facilitate this, additional funds of £120,000 (£90,000 from DEFRA and £30,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government) have been allocated to the National Bee Unit to expand the investigations they started last year under a Horizon Scanning project into significant losses and to meet the demand for increased inspections of bee imports consequential to the colony losses.
	DEFRA recognises the contribution that honey bees make to sustainable agriculture via their role in pollination and take seriously any threat to the sustainability of the beekeeping sector. The development of the Government's bee health strategy confirms our ongoing commitment to protecting and improving the health of honey bees and to sustaining and supporting beekeeping now and for future generations.

Bluetongue Disease

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans that the penetration of bluetongue vaccination in UK livestock will reach 85 per cent.

Jane Kennedy: Vaccination against bluetongue in England and Wales is voluntary. Vaccine was first made available from 30 April 2008, and the Protection Zone was extended step by step as further vaccine consignments were delivered. Initial vaccine uptake was high—reaching between 80 per cent. and 90 per cent. in the South East and East of England, but uptake in the counties of northern England and in Wales has been lower.
	To date the overall uptake of vaccine across the whole of England is about 60 per cent.
	My Department has underwritten vaccine supply to ensure that it is available. Beyond that I have made no plans to reach specific levels of vaccination at specific times. Vaccination is the responsibility of the livestock industry. An industry-led communications campaign has promoted the benefits of vaccinating, and the risks of not doing so.
	Vaccination in Scotland will be compulsory. The whole of Scotland will become a Protection Zone from 3 November.

Bluetongue Disease

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential for bluetongue to transfer to calves in utero from infected cows.

Jane Kennedy: The most recent assessment on "in-utero" infection in calves was done following the discovery of Bluetongue Serotype 8 (BTV8) infected calves in Northern Ireland in February 2007 which were born to recently imported cattle ("Menzies et al 2008, Vet record, 163, 203-209") and the finding that some English cows infected in 2007 also transmitted the virus to their calves. These findings prompted new legislation to be brought forward at EU level on the export of pregnant cattle and resulted in the UK testing all calves born to imported cattle for evidence of BTV 8 infection. This is still subject to further investigation and research at the Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, and elsewhere in mainland Europe.
	As yet, there is no evidence in Europe of such "in-utero" transfer of BTV1 virus.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of take up there has been by British farmers of the bluetongue vaccine.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2008
	Vaccination against bluetongue in England and Wales is voluntary. Vaccine was first made available from 30 April 2008, and the Protection Zone was extended step by step as further vaccine consignments were delivered. Initial vaccine uptake was high—reaching between 80 per cent. and 90 per cent. in the South East and East of England—but uptake in the counties of northern England and in Wales has been lower.
	To date the overall uptake of vaccine across the whole of England is about 60 per cent.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that bluetongue vaccine is available to veterinarians in small bottles to reduce the price of the vaccine to smallholders.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2008
	DEFRA has underwritten vaccine supply to ensure that it is available to farmers throughout England and Wales. Vaccine is available in a variety of bottle sizes (20 ml, 50 ml and 100 ml). This has provided livestock keepers with a choice as to which sized bottles they should purchase when vaccinating their stock to provide the best value for money.
	Full pricing details are available on the DEFRA website.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of animals have been vaccinated as a protection against bluetongue.

Jane Kennedy: Vaccination against bluetongue in England and Wales is voluntary, an approach agreed with the livestock industry. Vaccine was first made available on 30 April 2008, and the protection zone was extended step by step as further vaccine consignments were delivered. The livestock population eligible for vaccination against BTV-8 in England is 26,419,472. Initial vaccine uptake was high—reaching between 80 per cent. and 90 per cent. in the south-east and east of England—but uptake in the counties of northern England and in Wales has been lower.
	To date the overall uptake of vaccine across the whole of England is about 60 per cent., based on purchasing data. Because the approach to vaccination is voluntary, no exact figures can be provided about the numbers of livestock actually vaccinated.

Bovine TB Partnership Group

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with industry representatives on the constitution of the Bovine TB Partnership Group; and when he plans that the group should be operational.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear that he is keen for Government to work in partnership with industry to develop a joint plan for tackling bovine tuberculosis. This offer to work in partnership remains open.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of animals which have been infected with M. bovis in each year since 1997, broken down by species; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The number of cattle slaughtered as a result of bovine TB control measures in each year in England since 1997 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of cattle slaughtered under bovine TB control measures 
			 1997 3,123 
			 1998 5,027 
			 1999 5,580 
			 2000 7,190 
			 2001 4,438 
			 2002 18,443 
			 2003 17,551 
			 2004 17,306 
			 2005 23,135 
			 2006 16,007 
			 2007 19,794 
			  Note: All data provided are provisional and subject to change as more data become available.  Source: Animal Health Database (Vetnet). 2005-07 data extracted on 18 March 2008; 1998-2004 data extracted on 7 March 2006, and 1997 data extracted on 5 March 2007. 
		
	
	In addition there have been a small number of cases of where  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) has been identified in non-bovine species. The identification of  M. bovis in tissues and clinical samples from all mammals (excepting man) and the detection of suspect TB lesions in farmed and companion mammals (other than cattle and farmed deer), became notifiable only in February 2006.
	DEFRA can only provide data on the number of  M. bovis isolations from notified suspect clinical and post-mortem cases of TB arising in some non-bovine species. The relevant data for non-bovine species in England are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Species  Total number 
			 1997 n/a 0 
			
			 1998 Deer 8 
			  Domestic cat 2 
			
			 1999 Deer 9 
			
			 2000 Deer 8 
			  Domestic cat 3 
			
			 2001 Deer 1 
			
			 2002 Deer 7 
			  Domestic cat 2 
			  Dog 1 
			  Domestic pig 1 
			  Sheep 1 
			
			 2003 Domestic pig 8 
			  Alpaca 2 
			  Llama 1 
			
			 2004 Domestic cat 6 
			  Dog 1 
			  Domestic pig 1 
			  Alpaca 1 
			  Sheep 3 
			
			 2005 Deer 1 
			  Domestic cat 11 
			  Domestic pig 12 
			  Llama 1 
			  Sheep 2 
			  Ferret 3 
			
			 2006 Deer 5 
			  Domestic cat 13 
			  Domestic pig 1 
			  Farmed wild boar 2 
			  Alpaca 1 
			  Llama 8 
			
			 2007 Deer 1 
			  Domestic cat 14 
			  Domestic pig 5 
			  Goat 2 
			  Alpaca 2 
			  Llama 5 
			  Source: Veterinary Laboratories Agency TB Culture database

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of options to alter the tabular system for home tuberculosis compensation payments, with particular reference to separating out compensation for premium and organic animals.

Jane Kennedy: A range of proposals for altering the table valuation system were presented to DEFRA by members of the Cattle Compensation Advisory Group (a stakeholder group set up in spring 2006 to monitor the roll-out of the table valuation system). We identified problems with these proposals—which focused on premium and organic cattle—and so did not take them forward.
	The issue of whether a different approach is required when compensating for 'high value' cattle is at the heart of an ongoing legal challenge against DEFRA's table valuation based compensation system. DEFRA have lodged an appeal against the court's finding that it is unlawful to use table valuations for 'high value' stock. Any changes to the table valuation system will need to take into account the judgment of the Appeals Court, which is due to hear this case in March next year.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of pre-movement testing on the level of bovine tuberculosis in national livestock herds.

Jane Kennedy: We are continuously monitoring the impacts of pre-movement testing and key statistics are published on the DEFRA website each month. Evidence to date is encouraging and shows that new TB incidents are being prevented by pre-movement tests as well as Government-funded routine surveillance tests. The policy is also picking up infection earlier in high risk herds. Latest published data show that pre-movement testing led to the detection of 834 reactors in 458 herds in England between March 2006 and the end of July 2008.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to the impact introducing a bovine tuberculosis vaccine for cattle will have on Britain's tuberculosis free status; and what discussions he has had with the European Commission on this issue.

Jane Kennedy: Cattle vaccines for bovine tuberculosis are currently prohibited under EU legislation.
	Our proposals for cattle vaccination are being developed with industry and we are aware of their concerns and the desire to maintain trade which is linked to Officially Tuberculosis (TB) Free status.
	Cattle vaccines are based on BCG and this interferes with the tuberculin skin test. Vaccinated animals would therefore appear to be infected and herds could not be declared Officially TB Free. Therefore, as part of the UK research programme we are developing what is known as a differential diagnostic test to allow vaccinated animals to be differentiated from infected animals (DIVA). Changes will be required to the EU legislation to allow this test to be used in place of, or alongside the tuberculin skin test to confer Officially TB Free status.
	The use of cattle vaccines has been discussed with the European Commission. The Commission has indicated that an accredited DIVA test will be critical for a cattle vaccination policy.

Cattle: Databases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle are recorded on the cattle tracing system register; how many of those born after 1996 have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) not traced; and how many have an unreported final destination.

Jane Kennedy: There are a total of 39,747,916 cattle recorded on the cattle tracing system (CTS).
	Farmers must keep accurate records and tell DEFRA of all cattle movements. If animals are lost or stolen, the keeper must report this to the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) who record details on the CTS. Of those cattle born after 1996, 65,722 (0.17 per cent. of the total) have been reported to CTS as lost or not traced, either by the keeper, or following a farm inspection, for reasons including alleged theft.
	21,276 cattle born after 1996 have not yet had their final destination reported to CTS. In these cases, the animals' movement off their last location has been reported but the new keeper has yet to notify CTS.
	Such movement anomalies are routinely followed up by BCMS who contact the previously known keeper with a view to establishing the whereabouts of the cattle.

Cattle: Disease Control

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of herd health plans being in place for 95 per cent. of dairy farms by 2010.

Jane Kennedy: We have made no assessment against this target, which is set out in the Milk Roadmap. The Roadmap was published in May 2008 by the Dairy Supply Chain Forum's Sustainable Consumption and Production Taskforce. Monitoring and reviewing the Roadmap is the responsibility of that Taskforce. The Taskforce is currently considering how best to monitor and report on progress against the Roadmap targets and to this end had an initial discussion at its first plenary session since the Roadmap was published on 10 October.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department does not hold a central record of Christmas functions, nor does its core financial system record a category for Christmas functions expenditure.

Council for Food Policy Advisers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the newly established Council for Food Policy Advisers will work with EU partners.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 6 October 2008 that he will be establishing a council of advisers on food policy. The Council will advise the Government on food affordability, security of supply and the environmental impact of food production.
	Details of how the Council will work with EU and global partners will be discussed when the Council has been convened. The Council's primary focus will be on food production, distribution and consumption in the UK, but it will also consider the impacts of global trends.

Council for Food Policy Advisers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members are of the Council for Food Policy Advisers; and how they were selected.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 6 October 2008 that he will be establishing a council of advisers on food policy. The Council will advise the Government on food affordability, security of supply and the environmental impact of food production.
	Further details including the membership of the Council will be announced in due course.

Departmental Air Travel

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 27W, on carbon emissions: Government departments, if he will place in the Library figures for the air mileage incurred through departmental travel reported to his Department in order to calculate each departmental payment to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund, for each participating government department, public body and agency in each year since the establishment of the Offsetting Fund, broken down by  (a) domestic,  (b) short haul and  (c) long haul flights.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I will place in the Library of the House the air mileage(s) incurred and reported to DEFRA in order to calculate each departmental payment to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF), for each participating Government Department, public body and agency for the financial year 2006-07. The figures are broken down to short haul and long haul flights as domestic flights were not captured. Figures for the financial year 2007-08 are close to completion, and I will place these figures in the Library of the House when they are available.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agencies were sponsored by his Department or its predecessors in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The 'Next Steps Report 1997' (Cm3889) provides information on all executive agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available from the Library of the House. The most up-to-date list of executive agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication 'The List of Ministerial Responsibilities'. The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many citizens' juries his Department has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) members of the public attended each event.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department has held one citizens' jury since 1 July 2007:
	
		
			  Citizens' jury  Date  Cost (£)  Issues discussed  Number of Ministers attended  Number of members of the public 
			 Contemporary livestock farming and watercourse pollution: a citizens' jury approach November 2007 19,740 excluding VAT(1) Responses were gauged in relation to the understandings of risk associated with the microbial pollution of water courses; public attitudes to culpability given the current scientific and policy evidence base, particularly as this relates to the role of livestock farming; and consideration of public priorities in terms of appropriate level and types of policy intervention and mitigation. None present 15 people from Devon 
			 (1) This includes the whole contract cost, of which the jury was included.

Ducks

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to regulate the farming of ducks.

Jane Kennedy: The welfare of ducks is provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. DEFRA also has a welfare code. There are no specific EU wide standards for duck welfare.

Environment Protection

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the conclusions of the review of enforcement in environmental regulation; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 20 October 2008
	DEFRA's Fairer and Better Environmental Enforcement Project is building on the conclusions of the review of Enforcement in Environmental Regulation. The project is exploring, in discussion with other Departments, the potential for environmental regulators to use the civil sanctions enabled by the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008, which implements key recommendations of the Macrory report, 'Regulatory Justice: Making Sanctions Effective'. The project is also considering whether additional powers would assist the criminal courts in their role of sentencing serious environmental offenders proportionately and effectively. Any proposals that might result from this work will be the subject of full public consultation.

Environment Protection: Coastal Areas

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what sea defence projects are planned to be implemented in the next three years.

Jane Kennedy: The major new defence, refurbishment and beach management projects in Environment Agency and Local Authority programmes that are expected to provide improved protection against coastal erosion or sea flooding within the next three years, include the following locations:
	Bexhill beach, East Sussex;
	Cleveleys, Lancashire;
	Denge beach, Dungeness, Kent;
	Dymchurch, Kent;
	Felixstowe, Suffolk;
	Jaywick, Essex;
	Pevensey Bay, East Sussex;
	Stannah, Wyre Estuary;
	Weston Super Mare, North Somerset.
	The Environment Agency will fund other sea defence projects in the next three years that will deliver improved protection when they are completed, in 2011-12 and thereafter.

Fireworks: Noise

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authority enforcement actions have been taken against excessive noise from fireworks on private property in the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department does not keep statistics on enforcement action taken by local authorities on statutory nuisance from noise under Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Statistics on local authority enforcement action for statutory nuisances under Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are kept by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, who collect them on a voluntary basis from local authorities.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce primary legislation to implement the recommendations of the Report of the Review of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Legislative Project 2006, as recommended in the report; which recommendations of the Review of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries 2000 have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review 2000 made 195 recommendations, 49 of which require changes to existing primary legislation. The Government accepted the majority of these 49 recommendations and made a commitment to introduce new legislation when parliamentary time so permitted.
	The subsequent Review of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Legislative Project identified that proposals to address obstructions to the free passage of fish in inland waters could be introduced through powers to implement the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC). A consultation on these proposals will be issued shortly.
	Those recommendations, accepted by Government and identified as needing change to primary legislation and subsequently identified as critical by the Review of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Legislative Project 2006 informed chapter 3, part 7 of the draft Marine Bill, published in April this year. These remain an integral part of the Marine Bill, which will be introduced subject to the availability of parliamentary time.
	Most of the recommendations which the Government accepted, and which do not require new primary legislation have been completed: for example, the introduction of wider range of payment methods for rod licences, and elver/eel catch returns. Others, while being addressed, will take longer to complete, such as addressing the problem of siltation arising from agriculture. A copy of the complete table will be made available in the House of Commons Library.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish should be managed in a modern way; to protect stocks for sustainable fishing, to protect habitats and reflects the importance of angling to the rural economy in England and Wales.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the stock of native migratory and freshwater fish, broken down by species, in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Native stocks of migratory and freshwater fish are subject to extensive annual monitoring by the Environment Agency through the collection of catch statistics, programmes of river surveys, and other scientific sampling. These data are used to assess significant changes in stocks at the river catchment (or individual stillwater) level so that appropriate management interventions can be made. 'Stock' estimates are only collated at a national level for salmon (table 1).
	The Environment Agency recently published a snapshot review of the status of the migratory and freshwater fisheries of England and Wales "Our Nations' Fisheries". This report concluded that numbers of coarse fish (which includes 21 species) are increasing in many of our rivers, and sea trout are also generally doing very well. However, stocks of salmon and eel are depleted and this is thought to be due, in part at least, to environmental changes affecting the fish during the marine phases of their life cycles.
	For salmon, detailed stock monitoring data are published annually in a report on the status of stocks and fisheries in England and Wales. Catch data for salmon and migratory trout, for both net and rod fisheries, are also published annually (totals provided in table 1). Such data are not systematically recorded and collated for other migratory and freshwater fish species. The aforementioned reports are available on the Environment Agency website at:
	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/569882/?version=1&lang=_e
	
		
			Declared catches 
			   Estimated number of spawning fish returning to England and Wales  Salmon (Number)( 1)  Sea trout (Number)( 1)  Eels, yellow and silver only (Weight in tonnes)( 1) 
			 1997 58,911 44,506 65,128 68 
			 1998 57,017 42,288 75,468 58 
			 1999 74,155 46,651 86,854 — 
			 2000 101,713 68,594 87,344 — 
			 2001 99,316 57,626 85,300 49 
			 2002 88,925 53,561 86,814 24 
			 2003 71,584 28,738 74,349 25 
			 2004 87,575 43,917 62,155 10 
			 2005 82,048 38,229 63,748 42 
			 2006 74,464 33,087 49,580 36 
			 2007 60,698 30,906 49,749 16 
			 (1) Catch statistics do not provide a reliable measure of changes in stock size unless changes in exploitation rates are taken into account.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what stock management plans he plans to implement to improve migratory and freshwater fish stock numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency (EA) has responsibility for regulating salmon and freshwater fisheries in England and Wales. The Agency is implementing a number of management plans to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. It is now implementing its overall strategy for fisheries for 2006 to 2011, 'Better Fisheries for our Nations' that includes among its four key outcomes, improved fish stocks and a better environment for wildlife and people.
	At the next level, the EA is implementing the National Trout and Grayling Fisheries Strategy published in 2003 and, earlier this year, the Agency initiated its new strategy (2008 to 2021) for 'better sea trout and salmon fisheries'. The EA has in place salmon action plans for 64 principal salmon rivers.
	As required by the new European Eel Regulation, eel management plans are being drawn up for each of the 11 river basin districts (as defined for the Water Framework Directive) in England and Wales. Such plans are required to be submitted to the European Commission by the end of this calendar year.
	The Water Framework Directive requires the production of river basin management plans to tackle the major impacts on the whole water environment and to work towards achievement of good ecological status. The measures within these plans will be important in supporting improved fish stocks. The plans are now being drafted and must be finally approved by Ministers in December 2009.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the forthcoming Commons Fisheries Policy reform is likely to lead to further decommissioning within the UK fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Discussions on the reform of the common fisheries policy are still at a very early stage. As such, no assessment has been made on whether the outcome of the reform will result in further decommissioning of the UK fleet.
	One of the key challenges facing the EU fishing fleet at present is the need to achieve a proportionate balance between the available stocks and the size of the fleet that exploits them, and this is likely to feature heavily in proposals for reform. We will need to consider whether the UK fleet, which has already been significantly reduced in pursuit of achieving this balance, should be subjected to further capacity reductions.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the provisions of the Commission Communication Fishing Opportunities for 2009 Policy Statement from the European Commission (COM(2008) 331 final); and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Communication was discussed at the June EU Council of Fisheries Ministers. The UK was generally supportive of its broad thrust. In particular, the emphasis on the desirability of long-term management plans for all stocks, focusing on achieving maximum sustainable yield (MSY). However, we raised some concerns over the Commission's proposed approach, including in relation to their premise that a lack of quota uptake alone should provide sufficient justification for a future cut in total allowable catch (TAC).

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated to research on improving the selectivity of fishing gears in each year since 1997; how much he plans to allocate to research on the selectivity of fishing gears in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA's Marine Fisheries Research and Development Programme has supported a range of research projects on improving the selectivity of fishing gears since 1997. The details of all projects funded since 1997, together with our planned spend in this area until 2013, are displayed in the following table.
	
		
			  Project code  Title  Start date  End date  Total cost (£) 
			 MF0720 The biological and economic impacts of discarding by the UK east coast brown shrimp fishing fleet. March 1997 September 1997 4,400 
			 MF0615 An analysis of the selectivity processes within the beam trawl fisheries for Crangon crangon and identification of methods that could be used to improve their selectivity. July 1997 December 1999 251,640 
			 MF0706 Fishing gears with mitigating impacts. January 2002 March 2005 379,913 
			 MF0738 Gear technology, discard reduction, and environmentally friendly fishing studies. April 2005 March 2008 539,987 
			 MF1002 Practical steps towards reducing discards and developing more environmentally responsible fisheries. April 2008 March 2013 1,185,871 
		
	
	In addition to the research funded through the Marine Fisheries R and D programme, DEFRA also acts as coordinator for the European Commission-funded MariFish ERA-NET (European Research Area Network) project which brings together the major European national funders of marine fisheries research to form an effective, working partnership. MariFish has recently launched a collaborative programme to address the problem of discarding in Europe. The collaborative programme has 14 European partners and 16 operators who have agreed to collaborate on their existing and planned discard projects. This may involve, for example, data sharing, exchange of staff and improved communication with, and involvement of, stakeholders at each stage of the programme plan.
	The programme will cover technical aspects such as effort control, gear modification, real time closures and alternative fishing methods, but will also cover other important new areas such as survival of discards, use of cameras and new technologies and alternative management strategies.
	The collaborative programme participants met for the first time in June 2008 to agree ways of working together, and are due to meet at the end of October 2008 to agree specific collaborative actions on how to bring their respective national research projects together to form a more cohesive programme.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 855-6W, on fisheries: Scotland, whether an assessment has been made of the effects of the decision of the Scottish Executive to implement a moratorium on licence and quota transfers; what legal advice he has received on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Legal advice has shown the moratorium to be unlawful to the extent that it acts to prevent fishermen who re-register their boats to a different fisheries administration from taking their license and fixed quota allocations (FQAs) with them. Any vessel trying to re-register out of Scotland will therefore be treated in the same way as before the moratorium was announced. No formal assessments were carried out, as given our legal position, the moratorium cannot prevent the movement in licenses and FQA units.

Fisheries: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its predecessor gave to the Environment Agency in grant-in-aid for the Environment Agency's fisheries functions in England and Wales in each year since 1997; how much he plans to provide over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From 1997-8 to 2007-8, my Department provided grant-in-aid for the Environment Agency's fisheries functions as shown in the following table. Funding for fisheries functions in Wales has been the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government since 1999.
	
		
			   MAFF/DEFRA GIA  (£ million) 
			 1997-8(1) 7.4 
			 1998-9(1) 7.9 
			 1999-2000 4.9 
			 2000-1 4.8 
			 2001-2 3.2 
			 2002-3 5.8 
			 2003-4 6.3 
			 2004-5 6.3 
			 2005-6 6.3 
			 2006-7 5.9 
			 2007-8 5.9 
			 (1) Includes fisheries functions in Wales. 
		
	
	DEFRA's grant-in-aid for the Environment Agency's fisheries functions in England has been confirmed at £5.9 million for 2008-9 and 2009-10. The amount of grant-in-aid for 2010-11 and subsequent years will be subject to business planning decisions and the outcome of future Spending Reviews. The funding provided for the Environment Agency's activities in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1660W, on fisheries: quotas; what his estimate is of the fish stocks in UK waters that are  (a) outside safe biological limits,  (b) within safe biological limits,  (c) have no safe biological limits defined and  (d) have had no scientific assessment made; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In terms of EU fisheries and quotas, 47 finfish stocks are of most interest to the UK. The complete picture for 2008 will not be available until after the final instalment of the annual ICES' advice is released in November.
	The complete picture for 2007 can, however, be summarised as follows:
	Of the 47 finfish stocks:
	 (a) 14 stocks are outside safe biological limits;
	 (b) 9 stocks are within safe biological limits;
	 (c) 6 stocks still have no safe biological limits defined; and
	 (d) 18 stocks have no scientific assessment.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quota swaps have been made in 2008; which cross-year swaps will affect UK quota in future years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: On 15 October 2008, there have been 820 national quota swaps agreed by UK fisheries administrations between fishermens' groups within the UK and 66 international quota swaps agreed between the UK and other member states. Fisheries Administrations will consider proposals for cross-year swaps on an individual basis. Most cross-year swaps between 2008 and 2009 will not occur until later this year or early in 2009.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1865-6W, on fishing catches, what progress has been made on the development of the EU Discard Atlas; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In December 2007, the European Commission issued an open call for tenders in relation to Studies and pilot projects for carrying out the Common Fisheries Policy (Call No. FISH/2007/07). These studies included one which was intended to form the basis of the long-planned EU Discard Atlas. The study, which was lot four of the call for tenders, was required to provide a review of the current knowledge about discards in EU fisheries, and a feasibility study on a fisheries information system for these. Specifically, the aim of the project was given as:
	To compile and analyse all the information collected so far by the discard sampling programmes under the Data Control Regulation (DCR) on both the discarded and the retained fractions of the catch, in order to reply to questions such as how much, what, where and why discards occur. The study shall cover all main fishing regions of the EU: (i) the Baltic, (ii) the North Sea, (iii) the North Western Atlantic Waters, (iv) the Southern Western Atlantic Waters and (v) the Mediterranean.
	At the same time, to assess the feasibility of an information system offering easy and interactive access to fisheries data including information on fishing effort and catches. This feasibility study should consider, in addition to the geographical areas mentioned above, the Black Sea once data from that area is available through the DCR.
	The study would have required extensive work and co-operation between all European marine fisheries research institutes, in order to achieve these aims. However, the finances on offer to perform the study were relatively limited, and as far as we are aware, no bids to do the work were submitted before the deadline of 25 February 2008.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of European Fisheries Fund money will be available for projects to reduce discards and bycatch in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 498/2007, the UK EFF funds have been distributed across the priority axes and years of the Programme. Details can be found in Section 6 of the UK Operational Programme which is available via the DEFRA website.
	Priority Axis 1 (measures for adaptation of the Community fishing fleet), and Axis 3 (measures of common interest) are linked with a number of objectives, including reducing discards and by-catch. We cannot pre-empt decisions as to which projects will receive EFF funding, but can confirm that projects which seek to reduce discards and by-catch will be considered a high priority.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of UK fish stocks that have been discarded in each of the last three years, broken down by species; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Quantities of discards are estimated quarterly using data collected by scientific observers aboard commercial fishing vessels. They are required to record the quantity landed and discarded, and the species and size composition of the discards each time the fishing gear is hauled. Deploying scientific observers in this manner is expensive and time consuming, with the result that it is usually only possible to sample a small proportion of the overall fishing trips in a given area. As a result, it is necessary to extrapolate from the limited sampling to provide estimates for the entire fleet. Although the sampling is intended to cover a representative sample of the fleet, this does mean that the estimates of total discards are subject to uncertainty.
	Estimated annual figures for discards of some important commercial species over 2005 to 2007 are given in the following table. The figures given are as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Area  Species  Type  2005  2006  2007 
			 English and Welsh registered vessels North Sea ICES sub-area IV Cod ND 2,082 2,083 641 
			DR 47.7 62.1 40.6 
			
			   Haddock ND 665 1,837 1,471 
			DR 14.8 71.6 38.0 
			
			   Plaice ND 1,900 1,975 1,102 
			DR 70.4 36.3 74.7 
			
			   Sole ND 13 351 373 
			DR 5.1 26.8 30.1 
			
			   Whiting ND 4,422 9,002 3,628 
			DR 33.3 53.3 31.9 
			
			 Scottish registered vessels North Sea ICES Sub-area IV Cod ND 3,709 3,273 2,952 
			DR 57.4 73.5 83.6 
			
			   Haddock ND 84,038 59,314 48,735 
			DR 28.0 65.4 72.9 
			
			   Whiting ND 17,563 23,905 26,249 
			DR 65.0 50.9 45.3 
			
			   Saithe ND 3,930 4,169 4,389 
			DR 64.2 57.6 75.3 
			
			 Scottish registered vessels West of Scotland ICES Division VIa Cod ND 170 144 145 
			DR 62.3 86.7 89.8 
			
			   Haddock ND 5,165 9,856 5,765 
			DR 78.2 69.8 74.0 
			
			   Whiting ND 452 489 1,114 
			DR 96.7 95.8 75.1 
			
			   Saithe ND 764 1226 511 
			DR 64.2 62.0 52.5 
			  Note: DN: Estimated number discarded (thousand) DR: Discard rate (percentage of total catch in numbers that is discarded)

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received on allegations that the fishing vessel Prolific discarded in UK waters fish that were caught in the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Norwegians have made their concerns known to me. We are now working with them, the Commission and other member states to deliver a package of measures which will make our fisheries more sustainable in the future and significantly reduce the scale of discarding.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of fish caught within the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone by UK vessels and discarded in UK and other EU member state waters in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information on the scale of such discards is not available.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 708W, on fishing: catches, whether there has been an improvement in the discard data received by the European Commission; whether the provisions of Council Regulation 1543/2000 in relation to collecting discard data are now being met by all member states; whether the Commission has taken any action against those member states not providing discard data; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The answer of 12 December 2007 refers to a report by the Subgroup of the Commission's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) on the Assessment of the EU's Fishing Effort Regime. This group has met again during 2008, but its final report is not yet available. However, I understand that there have been improvements in the provision of discard data in the interim, with information provided to the 2008 meetings by Belgium, France and Denmark for the first time. Some countries, including Ireland, collect discard data, but this is not used by the Subgroup for technical reasons.
	I am not aware of whether the Commission is taking action against member states that are still not providing the requisite information.

Flood Control: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency has spent on building flood defences in 2008.

Jane Kennedy: The following table identifies the capital, revenue and local levy expenditure from the start of the financial year to the end of September 2008. The figures are in line with the Environment Agency's expenditure forecast.
	
		
			  Flood defence grant in aid expenditure—year to date 
			  £ million 
			  Regions  Capital (Actual)  Revenue (Actual)  Local levy (Actual)  Total expenditure 
			 Anglian 37.9 17.3 2.4 57.6 
			 Midlands 9.7 11.2 0.5 21.4 
			 North-east 9 10.4 1.2 20.6 
			 North-west 9.3 12.4 1.7 23.4 
			 Southern 5.8 11.8 0.4 18.0 
			 South-west 11.5 12.7 3.2 27.4 
			 Thames 11.6 20.8 6.0 38.4 
			 Total English regions 94.8 96.6 15.4 206.8 
			  
			 Head office 10.4 25.2 — 35.6 
			  
			 Total FDGiA expenditure 105.2 121.8 — 227.0 
		
	
	The Environment Agency has also paid out £19.5 million of grant to local authorities and internal drainage boards for coastal and non main river projects that they are delivering.

Flood Control: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent per head on flood protection in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas in 2007-08.

Jane Kennedy: The Environment Agency directs flood risk expenditure into areas which are most at risk of flooding, it does not make a distinction between urban and rural when defining flood risk.
	In the 2007-08 financial year, the Government provided approximately £600 million funding for effective management of flood and coastal erosion protection in England.

Floods: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is available from  (a) his Department and  (b) the Environment Agency for communities for solutions to their flooding problems; and what the reasons were for the rejection of the Water 21 bid from Gloucestershire by his Department.

Jane Kennedy: The Environment Agency's flood alleviation schemes are funded either through DEFRA grant in aid or from a local levy on councils by the Regional Flood Defence Committee (RFDC).
	The Environment Agency aims to work with communities at risk of flooding to devise technically and environmentally feasible schemes which can be put forward to the RFDC for local levy funding.
	In the Midlands region the Environment Agency is currently putting 22 candidate local levy schemes forward to the RFDC. The decision on which ones will be funded lies with the RFDC members and will include consideration of relative costs and benefits.
	A number of communities have also raised their own funding towards the cost of flood defence schemes and contributions may also be available from public authority departments (such as highways), increases to parish council precepts, local fundraising events and individuals.
	The Water 21 bid is promoted by the Gloucestershire Local Strategic Partnership and while the Environment Agency was a consultee it was not a funding decision maker.

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for reducing the budget for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The overall budget for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2009-10 has yet to be finalised.

Koi Herpesvirus

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the spread of koi herpesvirus outbreaks; what estimate he has made of the number of koi herpesvirus outbreaks in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government make a significant contribution to protecting fish against disease. Legislation was introduced in April 2007 which brought in for the first time domestic controls of koi herpesvirus (KHV) and made it a notifiable disease in the UK. We will be bringing in shortly broad legislation to implement Council Directive 2006/88 and to provide further protective measures against spread of disease. These notably will include the requirement for fish farms and importers of ornamental fish to be authorised and for angling clubs to be registered. Prior to KHV disease becoming notifiable in April 2007, outbreak numbers were not officially recorded and so are unreliable. Since April 2007 there have been 22 confirmed outbreaks, 10 cases in 2007 and 12 new outbreaks confirmed so far this year.

Marine Animals: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his latest assessment is of the effect that non-native species are having on the UK's marine environment and freshwater fisheries; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Novel alien species continue to appear in UK waters. Pathways include entry via commercial shipping (e.g. hull fouling, ballast water transfers) and the pet trade (aquarium and garden pond plants and animals released by the general public to open waters). The complexity of the aquatic environment means the impact of non-native fish introductions on our freshwater fisheries is often difficult to detect.
	It has long been recognised that the spread of non-native species can have far-reaching and undesirable ecological consequences for animal and plant communities in the marine environment and freshwater fisheries. Introduced non-native fish can have direct effects on native species, for example by predation, competition (for space and food) hybridisation (inter-breeding), or can upset the natural balance that operates between native species. Non-native species can also introduce and spread novel diseases and parasites to which our native species may have little or no resistance.
	Once established it can be extremely difficult and costly, and in some cases impossible, to control or eradicate an invasive species. While not all introduced non-native species will become invasive, they can still have adverse impacts. Given this, and the fact that their precise impact can be unpredictable, a precautionary approach is appropriate for managing the keeping and release of such species.
	My Department recognises the threats that non-native species can pose to marine and freshwater environments and has supported the development of risk analysis protocols to identify introduced species of potentially high risk, and where possible to assess in advance the impacts posed by these species. Following on from the DEFRA review of non-native species policy, a body has now been established, the GB Non-native Species Mechanism, to review the problems posed by non-native species and, as appropriate, to co-ordinate control and eradication measures by the appropriate agencies.
	The key measure in controlling the spread of non-native fish has been the Import of Live Fish Act (ILFA). Under the ILFA Orders it is illegal to keep or release any of the listed species in any water (including tanks and ponds) without a licence. Any person wishing to hold, keep or release any of the listed species is required to be in possession of a licence before obtaining the fish. Some introductions of species already present in England and Wales are allowed, where there is demonstrable benefits and there is no risk to the wider environment. But, there is a presumption against approving consents for the introduction of new non-native populations.
	In Wales the Welsh Assembly Government are looking into reintroducing consents under the Molluscan Shellfish (Control of Deposit) Order 1974 to attempt to prevent accidental introductions and the countryside council for Wales along with the main mussel producers in the Menai Straits have produced a code of good practice to avoid introductions. The countryside council for Wales have also distributed 'wanted cards' to help identify 8 marine non-native invasive species.

Marine Animals: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to  (a) prevent non-native invasive species entering the UK and  (b) remove non-native invasive species already present in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA and the devolved administrations operate regimes which aim to prevent the entry of certain non-native species into the UK, such as inspections under plant health legislation. In the course of their work DEFRA's plant health and seeds inspectors and their equivalents in the devolved administrations inspect consignments of plants and plant products to ensure that they are free of non-native plant pests and diseases of concern.
	However some non-native species legitimately used, for example in horticulture, as pets or in research can also have the potential to become invasive. It is important therefore to prevent their introduction into the wild. In May, jointly with the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government, my Department published the Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain. This sets out our proposals for more effective and better co-ordinated action to tackle invasive non-native species. Prevention of the introduction of such species into the wild is one of the key themes to which other parts of the strategy will also contribute. In addition to existing measures such as legislative controls under wildlife and fisheries legislation we plan to implement a structured programme of work on raising awareness and education both generally and in a targeted way, developing effective risk analysis capacity, implementing online reporting with improved surveillance and monitoring, and to develop capacity to respond quickly to future threats.
	Management of invasive species already established in the UK must be considered on a case by case approach which will take into account the feasibility and scale at which action could effectively be taken. The Strategy offers a framework for such decision-making at a national scale. Control options will vary from national, regional or local eradication to management or containment.
	Northern Ireland is working with the Republic of Ireland on a similarly strategic approach.

Marine Bill: Draft

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations and interests will be represented on the proposed Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities under the Marine Bill, if enacted; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The maximum size of each Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) shall be 21 members. The organisations and interests to be represented on each IFCA, and their relative split, include:
	One Marine Management Organisation member;
	One Environment Agency member;
	One Natural England member;
	Maximum seven local authority members;
	Maximum 11 persons acquainted with the needs and opinions of the fishing community, and persons with knowledge of, or expertise, in marine environmental matters.

Marine Bill: Draft

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many marine conservation zones he plans to establish under the provisions of the Marine Bill if enacted; what sea areas this will cover; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It is too early to predict the number, size or location of marine conservation zones (MCZs) that will be designated under the proposed Marine Bill. This will depend on the outcome of work which will be undertaken with involvement from stakeholders over the next three years.
	Our intention is that the Bill should provide for MCZs to be designated in those areas of the sea over which the UK Government have responsibility, that is English territorial waters and all UK offshore waters. The Welsh Ministers are also seeking powers, through the Bill, to designate MCZs in Welsh territorial waters.

Marine Bill: Draft

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to retain the provisions relating to coastal access in the Draft Marine Bill in the Marine Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Yes.

Moorings

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residential moorings his Department has registered; and what the location of each is.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested is not held by this Department. The practice for the registration of residential moorings varies between navigation authorities and it is not possible to produce a consistent list of all residential moorings.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 9 October 2008,  Official Report, column 737W, regarding British Waterways licensed residential moorings in England.

Oil: Waste Disposal

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Waste Oils Protocol project to be complete.

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Waste Oil Protocol project to be complete.

Jane Kennedy: The public consultation on the Waste Oils Protocol was launched on 28 July 2008 by the Environment Agency and the Government funded Waste and Resources Action Programme, and will close on 20 October. It is anticipated that a post-consultation draft of the protocol will be submitted to the European Commission in January 2009 for notification as a technical regulation in accordance with the Technical Standards Directive (98/34/EC). Subject to no substantial difficulties arising from this notification, the final protocol will then be published in August 2009.

Oil: Waste Management

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Treasury as to whether the rate of duty to be applied to waste-derived fuel oil from 1 November 2008 is consistent with Government obligations under the Waste Framework Directive to encourage the recovery and reuse of waste.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste Oil Directive requires member states to ensure the collection and correct management of waste oil and to take measures to give priority to the regeneration of waste oil above combustion. As a specific measure applying to waste oil, the Waste Oil Directive takes precedence over the Waste Framework Directive.
	It is the view of the Government that the duty regime applicable to waste derived fuel oil from 1 November 2008 should have no adverse effects on the volume of waste oil collected, as correct management of hazardous waste is a legal requirement. Waste oil has a value and there will continue to be a demand for waste-derived fuel. A higher duty rate for waste-derived fuel could also encourage the provision of regeneration of waste oil in preference to combustion.
	I have not held discussions on this issue with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but officials in my Department are in regular contact with officials in HM Revenue and Customs on this issue.

Primates: Pets

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward legislation to prohibit the keeping, selling, buying and training of primates as pets.

Jane Kennedy: There are no proposals to introduce legislation to prohibit the keeping, selling, buying and training of primates as pets.
	However, as a result of concerns raised during the passage of the Animal Welfare Act through Parliament, the Government intend to introduce a code of practice on the keeping of primates as pets. We are in the process of setting up a working group of experts to consider the standards that should be included in the code. Members include representatives of zoos, primate sanctuaries, specialist vets and private keepers.
	The code is intended to help owners and keepers to meet their statutory duty to provide for the welfare needs of their animals. While it will not be a specific offence to fail to comply with the code, it could be used in court as evidence to support a prosecution brought under the Animal Welfare Act. The code will be subject to consultation and approved by Parliament. We hope that the code will come into force next year.

Rabbits

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to regulate the farming of rabbits.

Jane Kennedy: The welfare of rabbits is provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 has a specific schedule relating to rabbit welfare. DEFRA also has a welfare code for rabbits. There are no specific EU wide standards for rabbit welfare.

Rats

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of  (a) the size of the UK rat population and  (b) the areas most affected by rat infestation.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA does not have data on the size of the UK rat population.
	Data on rodent infestation in domestic dwellings are obtained from the English House Condition Survey (EHCS). The detailed findings for 2001 are summarised in the report 'Rodent infestations in domestic properties in England, 2001'. The EHCS only provides an estimate of the proportion of dwellings with rat infestations inside or outside. It does not provide definitive data on numbers of rats.
	The 2001 report indicated that there may be a higher occurrence of rats within urban and rural areas when compared to suburban areas.
	In May, DEFRA published an interim report on rodent presence in domestic properties from the EHCS data for 2002-03 and 2003-04. The key findings were that the occurrences of rats in these years are not significantly different from those observed in 2001.
	A further detailed report is anticipated for publication in spring 2009.

Rural Areas

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to protect and support the sustainability of village life in England.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government are committed to supporting the sustainability of all communities, including those in rural areas. Evidence shows that, overall, rural areas are performing well in comparison to their urban counterparts, although there are some problems around housing and local economies.
	The Government welcome Matthew Taylor MP's recent report on housing and planning in rural areas, which makes a number of important recommendations on the sustainability of rural communities, and will be producing a formal response to that report in due course.
	The Government's policies to promote stronger, more sustainable communities through enhancing the quality of life, increasing affordable housing, tackling crime, raising educational standards, developing economic potential and improving local accountability apply equally in rural and urban areas.

Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 712W, on seas and oceans: biodiversity, whether he has finalised the network of Natura 2000 marine area sites; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Our programme of data collection and survey work is continuing to identify further sites to complete the UK Natura 2000 network. We hope to have the network substantially complete by 2012.

Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the provisions of the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the role of the CFP in implementing an ecosystem approach to marine management (COM(2008) 0187 final); and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK remain fully committed to the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and is fully supportive of the draft Council Conclusions on the Commission's Communication, which are to be agreed at a forthcoming EU Council of Ministers.

Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 712W, on seas and oceans: biodiversity, what reports he has received on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on offshore sites being damaged by fishing activities; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), our scientific advisers, have not indicated that potential offshore sites are being damaged by fishing activities. If the JNCC did indicate that such damage was occurring, we would approach the Commission to ask them to consider proposing protective measures.

Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 712W, on seas and oceans: biodiversity, whether he has submitted an initial tranche of candidate offshore special areas to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: An initial tranche of candidate offshore special areas of conservation (cSAC) were submitted to the European Commission on 29 August 2008. These included the sites at Braemar Pockmarks, Darwin Mounds, Haig Fras, Scanner Pockmark and Stanton Banks.
	Two sites have been delayed pending resolution of issues arising during public consultation: North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reefs, and Wyville Thomson Ridge. DEFRA officials are working to resolve these issues and these sites will be considered for submission to the Commission at the earliest opportunity.

Sheep: Ear Tagging

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of implementing the proposals for electronic identification of sheep on  (a) the sheep industry and  (b) hill farmers.

Jane Kennedy: A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been produced for England, a copy of which is available on the DEFRA website. An updated version to take account of changes to Council Regulation 21/2004 that were negotiated over the summer and more detailed implementation options will accompany the consultation that is planned for the spring.
	Electronic identification of sheep is an EU requirement, but the administration and implementation of it is an issue for devolved administrations.

Sheep: Ear Tagging

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the effects of electronic identification on the UK sheep industry.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with Commissioner Vassiliou on 29 September to press for a review of Council Regulation 21/2004, which provides for the mandatory implementation of electronic identification (EID).
	The Commissioner indicated that there were no plans for a review of the Regulation before 31 December 2009 when EID is due to be implemented.

Sheep: Ear Tagging

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings he has had with farmers' representatives from  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales on the European Commission's plans for electronic identification of sheep.

Jane Kennedy: The implementation and administration of electronic identification (EID) of sheep in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is an issue for the devolved administrations.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State did however meet with representatives of the NFU, NFU Scotland, NFU Wales, National Sheep Association, British Meat processors Association, Livestock Auctioneers Association and the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers on 30 June to discuss EID.

Sheep: Ear Tagging

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings he has had with his counterparts in each of the devolved administrations on the European Commission's plans for electronic identification of sheep.

Jane Kennedy: As part of the normal course of business, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State talks to his devolved counterparts on a variety of issues, including electronic identification (EID). DEFRA officials also meet with their devolved counterparts to discuss EID on a regular basis.
	A UK EID Project Board has also been established, which includes representatives of the devolved administrations, to take decisions on EID on a UK basis.

Special Areas of Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 41W, on special areas of conservation, whether Natural England has identified further sites that should be selected as special areas of conservation; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Further to the reply of 10 December 2007, Natural England is developing proposals for eight special areas of conservation (SACs) in inshore waters following survey work last summer. It is at the stage of considering potential boundaries for the areas of qualifying habitat that they have identified. Once the proposed boundaries have been identified, they will be agreed by Natural England's board before being forwarded to DEFRA. The areas involved are:
	Inner Dowsing, Race bank and North Ridge (Outer Wash);
	Haisborough, Hammoond and Winterton (Outer Wash);
	Margate Sands and Long Sands (Outer Thames);
	Lyme Bay to Poole Bay Reefs;
	Prawl Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone Reefs;
	Lizard Point;
	Lands End and Cape Bank; and
	Shell Flats and& Lune Deep (Morecambe Bay).

Water Supply

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government have taken to ensure water companies maintain pipe work and mains to high standards.

Jane Kennedy: Each water company is required to maintain its assets so that it can provide services to consumers over the long-term, while protecting the environment. In its role as the independent economic regulator for the water industry, Ofwat monitors how well each company is maintaining its assets in its annual serviceability assessments. Serviceability is the capability of a system of assets to deliver the right level of service to consumers now and in the future.
	During price reviews, Ofwat assesses each company's outputs and its plans for future maintenance. Price limits are set at a level that allows for sufficient maintenance of the asset systems.
	Companies that have had a deteriorating assessment have been required to produce action plans to deliver stable serviceability.
	In February 2006, Ofwat wrote to all water and sewerage companies (MD212, 'Asset Management Planning to Maintain Serviceability'). This signalled Ofwat's intention that if a company cannot demonstrate stable serviceability at the price review in 2009 it will treat this as a shortfall in delivery. Shortfalls are where a company fails to deliver outputs, targets or service levels specified in price limits. Ofwat recovers the money set aside for these, on behalf of customers, when it next sets price limits.
	A further letter (PR09/06, 'Setting Price Limits—Logging Down and Shortfalling' in November 2007) sets out how shortfalls would be applied in respect of failure to deliver serviceability outputs (section 2.1). This has focused the attention of the water and sewerage companies on the issue.
	Ofwat's work over the last few years has culminated in its ability to report a marked improvement in serviceability for 2007-08. Details of these and other regulatory actions are set out in Ofwat's set of reports on company performance which can be found on the Ofwat website.

Water Supply

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to ensure water companies provide safe and clean water.

Jane Kennedy: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) was formed in 1990 and acts as the independent regulator of the quality and safety of the public water supply in England and Wales.
	The powers and duties of the inspectorate set out in the Water Industry Act 1991 were strengthened by the Water Act 2003.
	Scrutiny of the water companies by the inspectorate has resulted in improved compliance with European drinking water standards from 95 per cent. in 1991 to 99.96 per cent. in 2007. On the advice of the inspectorate, the drinking water regulations were amended in 2007. These changes introduced a requirement for water companies to implement a risk management approach to water safety.

Water: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to assist low income families with paying their water bills;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to assist low income families in reducing water bills.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are aware of concerns about the level of water charges and the issue of affordability is one which the Government take very seriously. The cross-Government review of water affordability in December 2004 recommended:
	the vulnerable groups regulations should be extended to increase eligibility. Since publication the regulations have been extended to include children under 19 and in full-time education and a more inclusive list of qualifying medical conditions;
	a local pilot scheme on water affordability should be carried out. The pilot study is complete and the results are available on DEFRA's website;
	companies should spread and deliver best practice. DEFRA has worked closely with the Consumer Council for Water and other stakeholders to encourage best practice by companies in administrating the vulnerable groups tariff; and
	studying the effects of the charging system. DEFRA has been working closely with water companies and Ofwat to look at the likely distributional consequences of a range of tariffs for water consumers and will report to Ministers later this year.
	In August 2008 DEFRA launched an independent review of water charging and metering, which is led by Anna Walker and will look in particular at social, economic and environmental concerns. The review is due to conclude in spring 2009.

Whales: International Cooperation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will  (a) update and re-issue the Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility document and  (b) send the document to all governments intending to attend the 61st annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Portugal between 22 and 26 June 2009; when he next plans to discuss whaling with his foreign counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK has led efforts to recruit more conservation-minded countries to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) through our publication "Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility" (endorsed by the Prime Minister and Sir David Attenborough), which has already been sent to over 60 countries urging nations to protect these species worldwide.
	It will be sent to any countries that have recently, or could potentially, join before the 61st meeting of the IWC (IWC61) in Portugal. There is no need to update the publication at this time.
	The UK has also recently circulated a document to members of the IWC entitled "The International Whaling Commission—the way forward". This document encourages countries participating in the current discussions over the future of the Commission, to ensure the conservation of cetaceans remains the highest priority.
	Along with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, DEFRA will continue to engage in discussions with our counterparts on whaling at every appropriate opportunity.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Deployment

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of deploying troops abroad was in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The costs of deploying troops on military operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts. Costs of peacekeeping operations for financial years 1997-98 to 2006-07 were:
	
		
			  Military Operations - Costs: 1997 to 2007 
			  Current prices (£ million) 
			Total Outturn 
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2006-07  1,754 
			   Of which:  
			  Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 56 
			  Afghanistan 742 
			  Iraq 956 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2005-06  1,220 
			   Of which:  
			  Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 63 
			  Afghanistan 199 
			  Iraq 958 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2004-05  1,064 
			   Of which:  
			  Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 87 
			  Afghanistan 67 
			  Iraq 910 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2003-04  1,462 
			   Of which:  
			  Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 103 
			  Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 
			  Afghanistan 46 
			  Iraq 1,311 
			  Sierra Leone 1 
			  EUFYROM 1 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2002-03  1,390 
			   Of which:  
			  Kosovo 105 
			  Bosnia 81 
			  Gulf 45 
			  Afghanistan 311 
			  Iraq 848 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2001-02  557 
			   Of which:  
			  Kosovo 142 
			  Bosnia 93 
			  Gulf 61 
			  Sierra Leone 40 
			  Afghanistan 221 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 2000-01(1)  382 
			   Of which:  
			  Kosovo 220 
			  Bosnia 120 
			  Gulf 25 
			  Sierra Leone 17 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 1999-2000  461 
			   Of which:  
			  Kosovo 325 
			  Bosnia 108 
			  Gulf 28 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 1998-99  196 
			   Of which:  
			  Kosovo 14 
			  Bosnia 147 
			  Gulf 35 
			
			 Total Peacekeeping Costs: 1997-98  402 
			   Of which:  
			  Bosnia 386 
			  Gulf 16 
			 (1) Prior to Financial Year 2001-02 costs were recorded on a cash accounting basis and therefore are on a different basis to subsequent years where recourse accounting costs are included. 
		
	
	The following estimated costs for operations in 2007-08 were included in Spring Supplementary Estimates published in February:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Afghanistan 1,582 
			 Iraq 1,648 
			 Balkans 31 
		
	
	Final figures will be published shortly in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts for 2007-08.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the 20 per cent. threshold for war disablement pensions was set at that level.

Kevan Jones: Since World War 1, the nature and amount of awards under the War Pension Scheme has depended on the assessed degree of disablement due to service.
	Assessment of the degree of disablement is by comparing the condition of the individual as disabled by service with the condition of a normal healthy person of the same age and sex. From this time a distinction has always been drawn between assessments of under 20 per cent. and those of 20 per cent. or more. The reason why the threshold was originally set at 20 per cent. is not known.
	Before 1 April 1962, awards to "other ranks" with an assessment of less than 20 per cent. were in the form of a weekly allowance for a prescribed period followed in some cases by a terminal lump sum gratuity. For officers only gratuities were paid. A change in 1962 aligned the treatment of all members of the armed forces, so that since that date, all awards for disablement assessed at less than 20 per cent. have been in the form of a one off gratuity, regardless of rank.
	Assessments of 20 per cent. or more have always given rise to a continuing pension for all ranks. As part of a periodic review of the War Pension Scheme one of the options under consideration is to raise the 20 per cent. assessment level at which a pension becomes payable for new claims.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the appropriateness of the minimum age at which people can join the armed forces; and if he will  (a) make it his policy that those under the age of 18 years may not take a direct part in hostilities in any circumstances and  (b) renew the Government's declaration on the UN optional protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to armed conflict.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government made clear in their interpretive declaration when ratifying the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict that the armed forces would continue to recruit from age 16, but made a clear commitment to take all feasible measures to ensure that those who had not yet reached the age of 18 years old did not take a direct part in hostilities. The Government remain committed to meeting their obligations under the protocol and there are no plans to change the interpretive declaration.

Armed Forces: Reserve Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members and what percentage of the  (a) Territorial Army,  (b) Royal Navy Reserve,  (c) Royal Marine Reserve and  (d) Royal Auxiliary Air Force were available for deployment at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Availability for mobilisation is dependant on a number of factors, in particular which section of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 is being used to make a Call-Out Order. Therefore, while reservists may be unavailable for mobilisation under one section of the Act, they will be available under another. This effectively means that nearly all reservists remain available for mobilisation.
	As at 30 September 2008 the following Volunteer Reserve personnel were available for mobilisation:
	Royal Navy Reserve: 2,077
	Royal Marines Reserve: 858
	Territorial Army: 28,920
	Royal Auxiliary Air Force: 1,599
	These figures exclude those serving on full time reserve service and members of the sponsored reserve.

Armed Forces: Resignations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel opted not to extend their service in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of trained UK regular forces service personnel who opted not to extend their service is recorded in tables 1-8 of TSP5 (UK Regular Forces Outflow From Trained Strength to Civil Life) as outflow type "Time Expiry". Statistics are available for each service and on a tri service basis.
	TSP5 is published monthly. The current September 2008 publication includes time series back to 1998/99 and can be found at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page==48&pubType=l&thiscontent=60&PublishTime =09:30:004www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=48&pubType=l&thiscontent=60&PublishTime =09:30:00&date=2008-10-14&disText=l%20Sep%202008&
	Copies of TSP 5 are also available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many agencies were sponsored by his Department in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 1997-98.

Kevan Jones: The "Next Steps Report 1997" (Cm3889) provides information on all Executive Agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The most up-to-date list of Executive Agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication "The List of Ministerial Responsibilities". The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly and I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Departmental Cleaning Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which contractors his Department uses to undertake cleaning duties; and what the hourly rates of pay are for cleaners working in the Department.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 10 September 2008
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	This is due to the number of locations the MOD operates from across the UK and overseas. Also, for a number of sites cleaning is part of a wider building services contract and could not be split out as a separate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) computers and  (b) hard drives in his Department contain non-encrypted data.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 16 October 2008
	The MOD does not currently hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Under the terms of the Burton and Hannigan reviews the MOD is conducting a census of all removable media, which will include removable hard drives and this work is due to complete in March 2009.
	We have encrypted 20,000 laptops that are used outside MOD secure sites. Some laptops are not encrypted for technical reasons, such as those running automated test equipment, but are protected by other physical means. The MOD is reviewing its policy on the protection, including encryption, of equipment that is designed to be retained within our secure buildings.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT in each of the last three financial years.

Bob Ainsworth: The spend incurred in upgrading the Ministry of Defence's IT in each of the last three financial years varied from purchasing single computers and software licences to undertaking major IT programmes, such as the defence information infrastructure. The spend on all individual Departmental IT upgrades, and separating these upgrade costs from ongoing IT support expenditure, in each of the last three financial years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the names and addresses of each organisation that supplied goods and services to his Department in 2007-08, based on the purchase order data held in the Department's financial database.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence purchases goods and services from a large number suppliers every year and information in the format requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Lists of the organisations paid £5 million or more are published annually in UK Defence Statistics. I am arranging for copies of these lists for 2007-08 from UK Defence Statistics 2008 to be placed in the Library of the House. It is also available online at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk
	(UKDS2008/chapter1.html see table 1.18 and 1.18a)
	The addresses of these companies are available from Companies House:
	http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Departmental Sick Leave

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 610W, on departmental sick leave, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the requested information.

Kevan Jones: The Department does not have a separate category of staff on "gardening leave", as those without permanent posts are actively managed by their line management and where possible deployed on temporary work. There will be occasions when such temporary work isn't available, but that situation is continuously changing and is not recorded centrally. It would cost around £2,000 to survey all relevant management areas to estimate the level of such "gardening leave" at a point in time, and substantially more to monitor it continuously.

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for increasing the supply of affordable housing for local people to rent or buy in rural areas.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	The Housing Corporation has been set a national target to provide 10,300 affordable homes in smaller rural communities from 2008-09 to 2010-11. Grant will be allocated to those schemes which meet the needs of local people, the regional strategy and demonstrate strong value for money from the £8.4 billion National Affordable Housing Programme.
	The Prime Minister commissioned a report from the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing in rural communities. His report, published in July, provides a comprehensive review of the issues that our rural communities face, and provides a number of practical recommendations. We are looking at the report in detail and will publish a full response later this year.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists have been  (a) mobilised for service and  (b) discharged due to injury in Iraq in each year since March 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of Reservists mobilised for Service in Iraq by year is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 8,284 
			 2004 2,370 
			 2005 1,198 
			 2006 949 
			 2007 721 
		
	
	Figures for 2008 are not yet available.
	Information on discharges due to injuries on operations in Iraq are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate-cost as it would involve trawling individual personnel files.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters there are in the helicopter fleet of the UK armed services; how many of them are due to be taken out of service by  (a) 2015 and  (b) 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: There are 594 aircraft in the military helicopter fleet, excluding helicopters which the Ministry of Defence operates but does not own. Given that the majority of the helicopters in our current fleets have out of service dates prior to 2015, and that investment decisions are yet to be taken regarding the extension of the service life of existing airframes and the procurement of new helicopters, it is not possible to predict with any certainty the number and type of helicopters which will be in service in 2015 or 2020.

Northern Ireland Security Guard Service

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the review of the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service; and when he expects the review to be completed.

Bob Ainsworth: The review of the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service is currently under consideration in Headquarters Northern Ireland and 38 (Irish) Brigade and will be completed by the end of the year. The trade unions will be consulted on the findings and recommendations of the review.

Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are plans to create a European Union-led naval task force to combat piracy.

Bob Ainsworth: Ministers from the Departments responsible for countering piracy have recently agreed that HMG should take a more proactive stance on dealing with this issue, recognising that this will be best achieved with international partners including NATO, the EU and coalition forces already in the Gulf of Aden.
	We continue to work with our EU partners on measures to implement UNSCRs 1816 and 1838. In September we supported the establishment of an EU cell that aims to co-ordinate military escorts to World Food Programme shipping. We have also supported EU planning for a counter-piracy naval operation off the coast of Somalia, and on 14 October the EU Political and Security Committee decided to accept the offer made by the UK to provide the Operation Commander (Rear Admiral Phil Jones) and the Operation HQ (the Multinational Headquarters at Northwood).
	A formal decision from the EU member states to allow planning for the operation to proceed to the next stage is expected in the next ten days. We have made it clear that the UK offer is conditional on sufficient forces being generated for the mission to be effective. Current estimates are for the operation to be launched towards the end of 2008, probably in December, once force generation and detailed planning is complete.
	The key task of the operation will be to ensure the safe delivery of World Food Programme and other vital humanitarian deliveries to Somalia, but also to deter attacks on European and other shipping. EU partners are agreed that the ESDP operation is closely co-ordinated with other actors in the region, including Combined Task Force150 and NATO.
	The ESDP operation will not solve the long-term problems of Somalia which are the root causes of piracy, and we will continue working with our international partners to restore governance.

RAF Menwith Hill: Security

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the Ministry of Defence Police was of the policing of the area around RAF Menwith Hill by the Armed Response Team and the Counter Terrorist Unit in each year from 2001 to 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the cost of the Ministry of Defence police (MDP) deployed at RAF Menwith Hill for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: Staff may use taxis where it is the most cost-effective and economical way of conducting business travel. Because of the way expense data are recorded, the Department is not able to identify expense claims for taxi travel without disproportionate cost.

WALES

Departmental Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Department in the last 12 months; and at what total cost.

Paul Murphy: During the last year my Department has awarded a total of six non-pensionable bonuses to staff at a cost of £5,250.00

SCOTLAND

Departmental Correspondence

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) e-mails,  (b) telephone calls and  (c) letters from members of the public his Department has responded to since May 2007.

Ann McKechin: Since 1 May 2007 the Scotland Office has received over 2,200 pieces of correspondence for reply. The office also deals with an average of 3,000 other pieces of correspondence each year. The office does not record separately how each piece of correspondence was received or responded to. Separate records of telephone calls are not kept.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been responded to by the Department since May 2007; and in how many cases  (a) information was wholly exempted,  (b) information was partly exempted and  (c) the requests were answered in full.

Ann McKechin: The Ministry of Justice publish Freedom of Information statistics for all Central Government Departments on a quarterly and annual basis. The information requested can be found on the following web pages:
	 January - December 2007:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/7851.htm
	 January - June 2008:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	The MoJ plan to publish the statistics for the quarter 3 monitoring period in December 2008.

Departmental Marketing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on  (a) advertising and  (b) external consultants and advisers since March 2008.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office incurred no expenditure on advertising and external consultants between 1 April and 30 September 2008.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department's civil servants in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on overnight accommodation from other forms of subsistence such as meal allowances, day subsistence, incidental expenses and motor mileage. The total expenditure on all forms of subsistence for staff in 2007-08 was £38,053.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of pension contributions incurred by his Department was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2008-09.

Ann McKechin: The pension contributions incurred by the Scotland Office in each of the last three years were:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2005-06 270,533 
			 2006-07 287,273 
			 2007-08 345,063 
		
	
	The planned expenditure for 2008-09 is £375,000.

Departmental Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press releases have been issued by his Department since May 2007.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office press office has a wide-ranging role within the Department which goes beyond the issuing of press releases. It is involved in planning and executing media plans on behalf of Ministers and the Office and daily contact with the media.
	Since May 2007, the Department has issued 185 press releases. This figure does not include information issued orally in response to media inquiries, articles, operational and diary notes, nor does it include the Office's collaborative work with other Government Departments regarding press and media activity in Scotland.

Departmental Public Participation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with members of the public since May 2007.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have frequent meetings with members of the public on a wide range of issues. Records of these meetings are not normally kept.

Departmental Secondment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's staff are seconded from each other Government Departments.

Ann McKechin: At present, the Scotland Office has 30 staff on secondment from the Scottish Executive and 20 staff on secondment from the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Travel

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of travel for his Department's staff between England and Scotland  (a) has been in 2008 and  (b) was in each of the previous five years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not record the information in the format requested, however, the cost of domestic travel was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 134,992 
			 2004-05 118,160 
			 2005-06 118,335 
			 2006-07 119,216 
			 2007-08 99,971

Departmental Travel

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure his Department has incurred on international travel since May 2007.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office incurred no expenditure on foreign travel during the financial year 2007-08. Figures for 2008-09 will be available at the conclusion of the financial year.

Departmental Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's expenditure on vehicles was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2008-09.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not own any vehicles.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings overseas Ministers in his Department have attended since May 2007.

Ann McKechin: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have been abroad since taking up our current offices. My hon. Friend the Member for Inverclyde (David Cairns) attended a range of meetings, briefings and events in his role as Minister of State at the Scotland Office while attending the Offshore Europe conference in Stavanger, Norway, from 25 to 27 August 2008. My right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) attended a large number of overseas visits and meetings in his dual capacity as Secretary of State for Defence and Scotland.

Dorneywood

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1187W, on Dorneywood: official hospitality, what use his Department has made of Dorneywood for official engagements in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 20 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 90-91W.

Dover House

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many times Dover House has been used to host events since May 2007; and what the cost of each such event was.

Ann McKechin: Scotland Office Ministers have hosted a total of nine events at Dover house since May 2007. The cost of each event is detailed in the following table. The Secretary of State has also granted permission for 32 other events to be held by third parties at their own expense. The purpose of all these events is to facilitate the representation of Scottish interests in the UK Parliament and Government. I am pleased that Members of Parliament from all parties have used these opportunities to meet key stakeholders, including the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire.
	
		
			  Event  Date  Cost (£) 
			 Trooping the Colour reception 16 June 2007 4,605.45 
			 Highland Year of Culture to mark and celebrate Highland 2007, Scotland's Year of Highland Culture 4 July 2007 2,465.80 
			 English Speaking Union, treaty of the Union Debate 20 September 2007 2,512.85 
			 Lunch for the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 28 November 2007 4,030.31 
			 Roundtable on child poverty for charities, campaigners and MPs 30 January 2008 1,830.75 
			 Equality and Human Rights roundtable 29 April 2008 2,092.33 
			 Trooping the Colour reception 14 June 2008 6,477.86 
			 Creative Industries (PACT) roundtable for Scotland's creative industries representatives, stakeholders, MP's and Peers 25 June 2008 140.67 
			 Scottish Chamber of Commerce for MP, Peers and SCC representatives 9 July 2008 147.12

Republic of Ireland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with officials of the Irish Government since May 2007; and what topics were discussed at each such meeting.

Ann McKechin: Since his appointment, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has had no such meetings. The right hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) met with Irish Government officials on a number of occasions while carrying out his dual role as Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Scotland.

Scottish Parliament: Elections

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of the election to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 was.

Ann McKechin: The Scottish Parliament and local government elections in 2007 shared a wide range of facilities and services and as a consequence, were jointly funded by the Scotland Office and local authorities. All parties therefore benefited from such an arrangement. An arrangement whereby both elections were held on different days would significantly add to the aggregate costs. A final figure for the costs of the Scottish Parliament election in 2007 is not yet available as accounts from returning officers are still being assessed; the initial estimate of cost was £19 million.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Anti-Semitism: Internet

John Mann: To ask the Solicitor-General in what initiatives arising out of the 13th Annual Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors, New Technologies and Challenges in Crime and Prosecution, relating to anti-semitic hate crime on the internet the Government are participating.

Vera Baird: There were no specific initiatives arising out of the 13th Annual Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) in relation to anti-Semitic hate crime on the internet.
	However, recognising that e-crime is one of the most rapidly expanding forms of criminality, during that event the Attorney-General announced the establishment of the Global Prosecutors' E-Crime Network (GPEN). This is an initiative developed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in conjunction with the IAP which recognises the fact that prosecutors play a very significant role in combating all forms of e-crime, including hate crime on the internet, and that their knowledge and advice at an early stage of police investigations can be fundamental to success. The GPEN will comprise: a secure database for e-crime prosecution specialists from across the world; a channel for exchanging advice, queries and best practice between prosecutors; and host e-crime material including training packages and legal guidance that will constitute a virtual college for those who need access to training, and support. It will become fully operational early next year and will help keep prosecutors on top of the latest trends and developments in terms of technology, the law in other jurisdictions, and emerging forms of criminality—thereby raising standards of knowledge and improving prospects for successful prosecutions.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what administrative costs to his Department were associated with contributing to the Democratic Republic of Congo Humanitarian Pooled Fund in 2007-08; and what funding provided by his Department to the fund was spent on in that year.

Ivan Lewis: The associated cost to the Department for International Development (DFID) in contributing to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Humanitarian Pooled Fund is difficult to accurately disaggregate from the overall administrative costs of DFID in DRC. Administration costs for DFID DRC in 2007-08 are 4.4 per cent., with expenditure of just over £72 million. However, now the Pooled Fund is up and running, the costs of our oversight, monitoring and evaluation and lobbying for humanitarian reforms will be much less than 4.4 per cent. of our £30 million contribution to the pooled fund.
	The DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund (about £58 million in 2007) is managed by the United Nations (UN), with technical humanitarian expertise provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and financial management provided by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The management costs associated with the pooled fund are:
	In 2008, OCHA/UNDP will require approximately £500,000 to provide the technical and managerial expertise, amounting to 0.5 per cent. of the fund.
	UNDP charges 1 per cent. for the overall financial management of the fund, (about £580,000 in 2007).
	UNDP also manages grants made directly to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charges a further 5 per cent. to administer these (about £1 million in 2007).
	Thus a total of about £2.08 million (about 3.5 per cent.) is spent to administer the Pooled Fund. As per standard practice, each UN agency and NGO receiving Pooled Funds can charge an overhead fee of up to 7 per cent. for each grant received.
	In 2007 the Pooled Fund contributed to over 200 projects. A complete analysis of the results achieved by the fund is available in the 2007 Annual Report. The report can be downloaded on-line from:
	http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EDIS-7EGQ8V?OpenDocument

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many citizens' juries his Department has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) members of the public attended each event.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not held any citizens' juries since 1 July 2007.

Departmental Training

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on the DFID retreats defined by Account 2103, Group 210 in his Department's Chart of Accounts in the last year for which audited figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: The Chart of Accounts code 2103 is held within our new accounting system, which is currently being implemented in a phased rollout, which will be completed in 2009. Information migrated from existing systems to the new system is not currently held at this level. It is not currently possible to disaggregate costs in respect of departmental retreats without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of written Questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has received 247 parliamentary questions for named day written answer in the current session. 87 per cent. were answered on the specified date.

Developing Countries: Education

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on education in emergencies since his Department announced the Education Beyond Borders initiative in April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: When deciding how to allocate resources for emergencies, the Department for International Development (DFID) takes its lead from the UN assessments of humanitarian needs, supplemented by our own specialists.
	In 2007-08 DFID spent £7,214,881 directly on education in emergencies, £2,396,302 of which was in Africa. In addition, DFID spent £37,903,673 on multi-sectoral projects around the world, of which £4,027,628 was spent on education in Africa.
	The UN Central Emergency Relief Fund allocated $4,421,853 in 2007. In that year, the UK contributed 22 per cent. of the CERF budget.

Developing Countries: Education

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the policy change announced in the Education Beyond Borders initiative in April 2007 was communicated to his Department's staff in the field.

Douglas Alexander: The Education Beyond Borders initiative announced in April 2007 set out the Department for International Development's (DFID) plans for delivering education to children affected by emergencies, particularly those resulting from conflict or living in fragile states. Following the announcement the details were reported to all DFID staff through DFID's internal communications system and more directly with relevant country offices to provide appropriate policy assistance for implementing plans for supporting education in fragile environments.

Disaster Relief

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria are used to assess the suitability of funding specific emergencies; and how much is set aside for this purpose in addition to the £58 million of core funding allocated to humanitarian organisations.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) responds to humanitarian emergencies according to an assessment of objective criteria of need and the internationally accepted principles of impartiality and neutrality. For immediate rapid response DFID each year sets aside around £15 million which can then be supplemented with additional DFID funding in the event of a major disaster, such as recently for cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

Sudan: International Assistance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the UK is giving to local civil society organisations in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided $446,634 to support the activities of local civil society organisations in the Nuba Mountains through an FCO, DFID and Peace Building Fund.
	In 2008 DFID has also provided around $123,000 to civil society organisations in South Kordofan through the Common Humanitarian Fund. It is not possible to disaggregate this figure for the Nuba Mountains.
	DFID also contributes to the Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) which, from its inception in September 2005 up to the end of 2007, has provided an estimated $26.13 million in funding for Southern Kordofan. It is not possible to disaggregate this figure for the Nuba Mountains, or what support was given to civil society organisations.

WORK AND PENSIONS

National Insurance Contributions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) women aged between 16 and 60 years and  (b) men aged between 16 and 64 years in the United Kingdom have never paid national insurance contributions as a consequence of paid employment; and how many of these are classed as able to work.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.

Occupational Pensions: Incapacity Benefit

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans next to review the limit set on the sum received by an individual from an occupational pension which may be taken into account in the calculation of that person's incapacity benefit entitlement.

Jonathan R Shaw: A holding reply was sent on 14 October 2008.
	The amount of pension income that can be disregarded is reviewed as part of the annual benefit uprating exercise. The disregard is already more generous than that used in similar provisions in other benefits like jobseeker's allowance, but we will continue to keep the position under review.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Arms Trade: Colombia

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was received by UK companies for arms sales to Colombia in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: The Government do not hold information on how much has been received by UK companies for arms sales.
	The Government do however publish information on the export licence applications it processes each year by destination. This includes the monetary value of items for which licences have been granted, and a summary of the items covered by these licences.
	This information is available in the Government's annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. The annual reports for the last five years are available from the Libraries of the House and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/aboutthefco/publications/publications/annualreports/exportcontrols1
	The quarterly reports are available on the BERR website at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/europeandtrade/strategic-export-control/statistics/index.html

Banks: Interest Rates

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the statement by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry during the Second Reading of the Consumer Credit Bill of 9 June 2005,  Official Report, columns 1405-06, what recent reviews his Department has undertaken of the need for caps on interest rates in the sub-prime lending market.

Gareth Thomas: In line with the commitments made during the passage of the Consumer Credit Act 2006, the Government will review their policy on interest rate caps after the Act has been in force for three years with regard to all available evidence. The Department has not undertaken any specific reviews of the need for caps on interest rates since 2004, but my officials are keeping abreast of all academic research into this area and are currently in discussions with researchers who are examining the impact of similar reforms in Japan.

Broadband: Rural Areas

John Greenway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the contribution of the public sector-led broadband initiative NYnet to the economic competitiveness of North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: BERR has not made an assessment of the contribution of NYnet to the economic competitiveness of North Yorkshire, but Regeneris Consulting and Adroit Economics were commissioned by Yorkshire Forward to carry out an evaluation of Yorkshire Forward's contribution to the North Yorkshire broadband programme, which included a look at future impacts of NYnet, as it was too early to make judgment on actual impact. The report is not yet publicly available.

Business: Regulation

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what criteria and performance measures his Department uses to assess the performance of industry regulators.

Ian Pearson: Regulatory agencies in the UK cover a wide-range of sectors and activities. There are currently some 40 national regulatory bodies, 10 economic regulators and some 468 local authorities, all of which regulate industry in some way.
	There are a wide range of performance measures used in respect of their work: these will commonly feature in the relevant annual reports and (in the case of local authorities) in a range of nationally-set performance indicators led by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Economic regulators report directly to Parliament.
	The Better Regulation Executive in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has worked with the National Audit Office to develop a process of external review of regulatory performance against the principles of the 2005 Hampton Report (HM Treasury 2005). These are known as 'Hampton Implementation Reviews' and are being conducted on all 40 national regulatory bodies.
	The purpose of these reviews is to assess how well national regulators are following the Hampton principles which are in essence the criteria. The reviews encourage best practice and continuous improvement among regulators. They do not include quantitative performance measures.

Citizens' Advice Bureaux: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has had discussions with representatives of citizens' advice bureaux to discuss potential closures of citizens' advice bureaux; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have not had any discussions with representatives from Citizens Advice, the organisation which provides the umbrella body to support the Citizens Advice Service, nor from individual Citizens Advice Bureaux on potential closures of bureaux. While Central Government provide funding to Citizens Advice, it does not fund individual bureaux, which receive their core funding mainly from their local authority. They will be best placed to decide which advice agencies should be supported locally.

Departmental Telephone Services

Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what agencies or units for which his Department is responsible require the public to make telephone calls to them on numbers which charge more than the national call rate; and how much income each such agency derived from such charges in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 9 October 2008
	 From the central records available the Department has no public telephone contact numbers which charge more than the standard BT national call rate. The Department does not receive any income from its contact numbers.
	I have asked the Chief Executives of the Department's agencies to respond direct to my hon. Friend.

Imports: Catering

Joan Walley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to seek to secure the reduction of US import tariffs on catering products; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Reduction in global tariffs, including those applied by the US on imports of catering products, are being negotiated through the multilateral Doha Development Agenda trade talks. If an agreement is concluded on the basis of current proposals US tariffs on catering goods will fall to below 8 per cent.

Insurance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has issued guidance on best practice for insurance renewal offers.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 14 October 2008
	The Financial Services Authority is responsible for regulating insurance companies headquartered in the UK. In addition to the high level principle that all insurance firms should treat their customers fairly, the FSA have issued two specific rules that apply to renewals.
	Insurance Conduct of Business Sourcebook (ICOBS) 6.1.5R states that a firm must provide appropriate information in good time to allow the customer to make an informed decision about the arrangements proposed.
	'Good time' is determined by ICOBS 6.1.8G: 'in determining what is in good time', a firm should consider the importance of the information to the customer's decision-making process and the point at which the information may be most useful.

Mobile Phones: Fees and Charges

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to encourage mobile network operators to reduce their text and data roaming charges for customers travelling abroad.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 6 October 2008
	The communications sector is subject to regulation under the Communications Act 2003 which implements the overarching European legislation in this area. That European legislation was amended in 2007 by a regulation to address the problem of the high cost of voice roaming while abroad. The regulation acknowledged that the costs of SMS and data roaming would need to be reviewed with a view to further regulation if the relevant charges did not decline through market forces.
	In the light of their review of that regulation, the Commission has proposed an amending regulation to extend the present regulation of voice calls, establish a ceiling for the costs of text messages sent while abroad, and a ceiling on the wholesale charges that apply to data roaming (this largely relates to mobile internet access through laptops and phones). While the detail of the regulation has still to be negotiated, the proposal offers the prospect of real gains to UK consumers over and above the competitive packages already on offer in the UK, and the UK Government will be working with European partners to achieve that result.

New Business Ambassadors Group

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what budget has been set aside to secure the work and operation of the New Business Ambassadors Group; from which departmental budget these resources will be drawn; and whether the ambassadors will receive any payment for their services.

Gareth Thomas: In financial year 2008-09 up to £100,000 has been internally reallocated from within UK Trade and investment (UKTI) resources to support this work overseas. Funding was found from in-year recyclable efficiencies. Within UKTI work has been reorganised internally and redistributed to establish a secretariat to support the business ambassadors.
	The business ambassadors will receive no payment for their services, however, reasonable expenses will be allowed. The business ambassadors may make up to one dedicated trip a year to support the Government in promoting the UK around the world, but it is anticipated that the majority of their work as business ambassadors will take place within their own travel schedules, in order to obtain the maximum public benefit.

Overseas Investment: Colombia

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many UK-based companies have investments in Colombia.

Gareth Thomas: There are currently 53 UK companies with investments in Colombia according to records held by the British embassy in Bogotá.

Overseas Trade: Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of trade between the UK and Somalia was in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Somalia are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK  export  of goods to Somalia  UK  import  of goods from Somalia 
			 2003 3.6 0.1 
			 2004 7.1 0.0 
			 2005 1.9 0.1 
			 2006 0.8 0.1 
			 2007 0.9 0.2 
			  Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics. 
		
	
	Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2007 were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK  export  of  services  to Somalia  UK  import  of  services  from Somalia 
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 1 1

Overseas Trade: Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of UK-Sudan trade was in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Sudan are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK  export  of goods to S udan  UK  import  of goods from S udan 
			 2003 88.8 6.3 
			 2004 91.6 14.2 
			 2005 139.7 18.1 
			 2006 155.1 10.0 
			 2007 114.9 20.5 
			  Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics. 
		
	
	Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2007 were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK  export  of  services  to S udan  UK  import  of  services  from S udan 
			 2005 29 21 
			 2006 31 22

Trade: Jurisdiction

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from UK business trade and industry representatives on US extraterritorial jurisdiction and intervention; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department periodically receives representations from businesses, business representatives and individuals usually, but not exclusively, in respect of US trade sanctions against Cuba.
	The Government are opposed to excessive assertions of extraterritorial legislation and jurisdiction and frequently makes their views known in contacts with the US.
	We have made our opposition to US policy clear through our vote every year against the US embargo on Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly, most recently on 30 October 2007, and UK officials raised the issue again with US officials in Washington in May. The UK and the US agree that though they share the same policy aim, peaceful transition to pluralist democracy, they differ on how to achieve that aim. The US favours isolation of Cuba, while the EU prefers constructive engagement and dialogue.

UK Trade and Investment: Arts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to enhance the international competitive position of the UK's creative industries.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) mission is to deliver maximum value for the UK economy and for business in an increasingly globalised and competitive world. Our latest performance results show that 54 per cent. of all businesses—some 10,000 companies—assisted through UKTI trade services over an annual period improved their business performance as a direct result of UKTI support.
	UKTI, with the Creative Industries Marketing Strategy Board chaired by Sir John Sorrell, is leading an international marketing strategy aimed at raising the profile of the sector overseas and helping UK creative companies maximise international opportunities. The marketing strategy has concentrated on developing new messaging, focusing UK promotional efforts and developing a new set of initiatives to market the UK's creative industries more effectively overseas.
	UKTI engages with the creative industries through a number of export advisory groups to ensure that the creative companies benefit from the full range of UK Trade and Investment services such as Passport to Export, the Trade Access Programme, sector missions and seminars.

UK Trade and Investment: Arts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will publish UK Trade and Investment's five-year strategy to enhance the international competitive position in the UK's creative industries.

Gareth Thomas: "Creative UK: Towards an International Marketing Strategy for the UK's Creative Industries" was published on 16 July 2007. A copy rests in the House of Commons Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Central African Republic: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of cross-border violence between the Central African Republic and Darfur; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been internally displaced as a result of the violence.

Gillian Merron: We rely on United Nations' agencies to provide us with information on cross-border violence between the Central African Republic (CAR) and Darfur. They advise that bandit and poacher groups routinely carry out cross-border raids. They have reports of one cross-border attack on the town of Am Dafok in the CAR at the end of September by a group that retreated to a base in Sudan.
	We cannot assess the number of those displaced because of such cross-border violence. However, the number of people internally displaced in CAR has fallen this year, and now stands at 108,000. The number displaced has also fallen in the Vakaga prefecture, which borders southern Darfur. According to the UN, security in the region has improved in recent months, partially as a result of the deployment of EUFOR, the EU Force in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR.

China: Human Rights

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the human rights situation in China following the conclusion of the Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We remain concerned about the human rights situation in China and continue to devote considerable attention to encouraging respect for international standards. In certain areas, China's hosting of the Olympics has led to improvements. For example, we welcomed the media regulations put in place for foreign journalists prior to the games and are encouraged by indications that China will maintain a more flexible reporting regime for foreign media. We also welcome the higher profile given to the rights of disabled persons following the Paralympics and China's ratification of the International Covenant on the Rights of Disabled People earlier this year.
	None the less, we were disappointed that greater improvements in human rights did not take place in the run-up to the Olympic Games, and are concerned that in certain areas reports of human rights violations have increased. We remain particularly concerned about the situation in Tibet, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised recently with Premier Wen and President Hu, and continue to urge transparency and substantive dialogue as the way to address the underlying human rights issues. We were also disappointed that the areas designated for authorised protests set up during the Olympic Games were not utilised.
	We continue to believe that the extension of personal freedoms would be in China's own interest, and we will continue to encourage China to meet its commitments to international human rights standards, including through ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Human rights will continue to be an area of major focus in our engagement with China in the years ahead.

China: Human Rights

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest of Bishop Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding on 24 August 2008 by the Chinese authorities; what assessment he has made of the Bishop's health and the conditions in which he is held; what representations he has made to his Chinese counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We remain concerned about the wellbeing of Jia Zhiguo, following reports of his recent detention on 24 August. We have previously raised our concerns on Bishop Jia's situation with the Chinese Government: we included his name on a list of individual cases of concern raised with the Chinese during the 16th round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue held in Beijing on 28 January 2008. We continue to monitor his case.
	We continue to be concerned that restrictions on religious groups and the harassment of practitioners undermines freedom of religious belief in China. We have repeatedly made clear that such actions are not in line with article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which we continue to urge the Chinese to ratify. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this issue with the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi when he visited China on 25-29 February.

Chinese People's Liberation Army: Royal Military Academy

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was first informed that members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army were attending RMA Sandhurst.

Bill Rammell: The decision to allow a member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to attend training at Sandhurst was in line with our overall strategy of engagement with China which has been agreed across Government, including by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary therefore would not expect to be consulted on individual issues such as this and indeed was not consulted in this case.

Colombia: Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the trade in small arms with Colombia.

Gillian Merron: All export licence applications, including those for small arms to Colombia, are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of the circumstances prevailing at the time and other relevant announced Government policies.
	An export licence will not be issued if the arguments for doing so are outweighed by the need to comply with the UK's international obligations and commitments, by concern that the goods might be used for internal repression or international aggression, by the risks to regional stability or by other considerations as described in the EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Colombia: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Colombia on the incidence of human rights abuses in that country.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the human rights situation in Colombia with Jaime Bermudez, the Colombian Foreign Minister, on 9 October 2008. Following that meeting, the Foreign Secretary issued the following statement:
	"Colombia and the UK are partners of long standing, working to an agenda of tackling the drugs trade, promoting human rights, encouraging trade and investment and working to protect those whose rights have been abused. It is vitally important that the United Kingdom works with the government of Colombia to reduce the flow of cocaine to Europe and the UK, which does so much harm to all the countries and communities involved.
	We want to help the Colombian government improve the difficult human rights situation in Colombia, and to promote stability, prosperity, democracy and the rule of law. Those guilty of abuses—whoever they are—must receive justice for their actions. Colombia's people—particularly those most vulnerable: indigenous communities, the displaced, human rights defenders and trade unionists—deserve the full protection of the law, and the support of both the Colombian government and its international partners."
	I also raised human rights issues when I spoke to the Colombian Foreign Minister on 16 October.

Colombia: Trade Unions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Colombia on the treatment of trade unionists.

Gillian Merron: We regularly raise the dangers faced by trade unionists with the Colombian Government. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue with the Colombian Foreign Minister when they met in London on 9 October, commenting publicly after the meeting:
	"Colombia's people—particularly those most vulnerable: indigenous communities, the displaced, human rights defenders and trade unionists—deserve the full protection of the law, and the support of both the Colombian Government and its international partners."
	We are matching this advocacy with practical support. We invited a delegation of Colombian trade unionists to the UK in March 2008. Following that visit, we sent a tripartite delegation from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to Colombia in late September 2008, to explore how the UK can support and promote labour relations in Colombia. We await their report and recommendations.

Commonwealth Committee on Terrorism

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Commonwealth Committee on Terrorism next plans to meet; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Commonwealth Foreign Ministers agreed on 24 September 2008 that counter-terrorism officials should meet before the end of 2008. The exact timing and format of the meeting are yet to be agreed.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made in relation to the arrest and detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo of Gabriel Mokia, head of the Movement for Democratic Change political party.

Gillian Merron: UK officials and other international observers in Kinshasa are following Gabriel Mokia's case. Mr. Mokia has had access to legal representation, and officials from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo have attended all sessions of the proceedings against him. It is not yet clear what charges, if any, he will face. While we have not yet made any specific representations in this case, we will continue to monitor its progress, share information with partners, and make such representations, as appropriate.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made in relation to concerns raised by international observers at the conviction in the Democratic Republic of Congo of Freddy Bisimwa Matabaro and Mugisho Rwezangabo for the murder of the journalist Serge Maheshe and their requests for a renewed and effective investigation into his death.

Gillian Merron: The UK has worked closely with international partners in following the trial of the men accused of the murder of Serge Maheshe. We and EU partners believe that effective pursuit of this case by the Democratic Republic of Congo authorities will send an important signal that impunity is no longer tolerated.
	The EU made representations to the Minister for Justice and Human Rights on 12 May 2008 after four defendants were convicted, and issued a further statement on 15 May, highlighting the EU's concern at irregularities in the appeal process and calling for fairness in the proceedings.
	The convictions of Freddy Bisimwa Matabaro and Mugisho Rwenzagabo for the murder of Serge Maheshe were upheld on appeal on 21 May. Officials from the UN's mission in DRC are in contact with the authorities over this verdict. The defendants' lawyers are in the process of exploring options for a final appeal.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's rest and recuperation leave policy for civilians working in operational theatres.

Gillian Merron: This policy is not set out in a single document or booklet.
	We take very seriously the health and welfare of our staff and recognise the special pressures that deployment to an 'operational theatre' can bring. All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff serving in Afghanistan and Iraq undergo a range of health checks, both physical and psychological, before, during and after their deployments. We review this process regularly to ensure that it complies with clinical best practice. We also have our own medical teams in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide primary medical care and pastoral support to staff.
	In addition we require staff to take regular decompression breaks (of 10 to 14 days) outside of the operational theatre after every six to seven weeks in Afghanistan or Iraq. At the end of each tour of duty (6 to 12 months in Iraq and Helmand; 12 to 18 months in Kabul) we encourage staff to take an extended break, using leave accumulated before and during their posting, before they move to another job.

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 30 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not differentiate its suppliers by size, so we are not able to provide the information requested.
	Of the invoices received, for goods and services procured from all suppliers in 2007-08, 93.1 per cent. were paid by the FCO and its agency FCO services and 98.3 per cent. were settled by Wilton Park, another agency of the FCO, within 30 days of receipt.

Departmental Sick Pay

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility have received sick pay for sick leave due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what the average length of time was for which sick pay was paid in these cases; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The number of UK civil servants employed by the FCO and by Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the FCO, where stress or mental health illness has been given as the reason for the absence is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Foreign and Commonwealth Office  Wilton Park 
			  2005-2006   
			 Number of Staff 137 6 
			 Percentage of Workforce 2.3 8.1 
			  2006-07   
			 Number of Staff 128 10 
			 Percentage of Workforce 2.1 13.5 
			  2007-08   
			 Number of Staff 119 10 
			 Percentage of Workforce 2.0 13.5 
		
	
	The following table provides the average period of sick leave in each year for stress and mental health disorders.
	
		
			   Foreign and Commonwealth Office (days)  Wilton Park (days) 
			 2005-06 18.2 12.3 
			 2006-07 18.6 29.6 
			 2007-08 26.4 62.5 
		
	
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pays staff on sick leave their normal salary for up to a maximum of six months sick absence during any rolling period of 12 months. After that the FCO pays 50 per cent. of salary for up to a maximum of six months during any rolling period of four years or less. If the absence continues beyond this period, staff cease to receive any salary. It would incur a disproportionate amount of cost for us to investigate each individual instance of sickness to tell whether the officers had reached any of these thresholds.
	The FCO does not hold records of staff sickness absence before 2005. Nor does it have access to the sickness absence records of non-departmental public bodies. Sickness absence figures for FCO Services, which became a Trading Fund on 1 April 2008, are included in the FCO total.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to protecting the health, welfare and productivity of its staff. Our occupational stress policy provides guidance for staff and managers on recognising and dealing with stress and on reducing the causes of stress in the workplace. We provide further support through a team of welfare officers, referral to our Occupational Health service and access to a 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme.

Embassies: Non-domestic Rates

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions may be imposed on diplomatic missions in the UK which do not pay non-domestic rates for which they are liable.

Gillian Merron: We expect all diplomatic missions to meet their national non-domestic rate obligations, and the vast majority do so. The Valuation Office Agency of HM Revenue and Customs sends monthly statements to all diplomatic missions which have outstanding debts. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an annual process of formally raising outstanding debts with missions, and urging prompt settlement. Failure to do so leads to the missions appearing on the written ministerial statement which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary makes to Parliament each year.
	The total amount of national non-domestic rates owed by foreign Missions in the UK fell by more than 50 per cent. between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Georgia: South Ossetia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of  (a) civilians in South Ossetia killed as a result of Georgian actions and  (b) Georgian citizens killed as a result of Russian actions in the recent conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Human Rights Watch have estimated fewer than 100 (Ossetian) civilians were killed in South Ossetia as a result of Georgia's actions. The Investigative Committee under the Russian General Prosecutors Office, whose investigation is still under way, have reported that they have so far been able to identify 137 victims.
	On 15 September the Georgian Ministry of Defence released official figures for the number of Georgians killed as a result of the conflict. They reported a total of 370 deaths, consisting of 188 civilians, 168 military personnel and 14 Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel.

Iran: Sanctions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 872W, on Iran: sanctions, on how many occasions UK authorities have undertaken inspection of cargoes to and from Iran in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1803 since March 2008.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	UK authorities undertake daily inspections of cargoes to and from Iran on the basis of risk and intelligence. UK authorities have undertaken no inspections in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1803 since March 2008. Inspections in the UK are triggered at a lower level of confidence than the wording of the resolution which calls upon states to undertake inspections only where there are 'reasonable grounds to believe'.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions Ministers have made representations to other governments on the recognition of Kosovo.

Caroline Flint: We have been engaging actively both in bilateral discussions and multilateral forums, working closely with and alongside the government of Kosovo, and with like-minded international partners to encourage further recognitions.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in transferring equipment and resources from UNMIK to EULEX in Kosovo.

Caroline Flint: On 18 August, a technical agreement was signed between the UN and EU, paving the way for the transfer of equipment and resources from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). The transfer is now in progress.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the transition from UNMIK to EULEX in Kosovo to take place; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The transition from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) is currently in progress. Although some technical issues are still to be resolved, the European Council expects EULEX to become fully operational by late November 2008.

Palestinians: Oppression

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether students from Birzeit University in Palestine are being imprisoned as a result of their political beliefs; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are aware of reports of students from Birzeit university being detained earlier this year and have raised our concerns with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
	We continue to follow Israeli detention operations closely and monitor the situation with regard to all Palestinian prisoners. We believe all Palestinian prisoners should have access to a fair trial, and call upon Israel to ensure that any actions they take are in accordance with international law.
	The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has stressed its commitment to honouring its international obligations with regard to the humane and dignified treatment of prisoners.

Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing an EU-led multi-national naval mission to deal with incidents of piracy around the Gulf of Aden; and when he last discussed the matter with his EU counterparts.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, met other EU Defence Ministers on 2 October to discuss incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Aden. A further meeting will take place in mid-November.

Rendition

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the identification of possible incidents of rendition flights via UK airports since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary informed Parliament in a written ministerial statement on 3 July that the US Government have confirmed that, with the exception of two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002 about which he informed Parliament in an oral statement on 21 February, there have been no other instances in which US intelligence flights landed in the United Kingdom, our Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies, with a detainee on board since 11 September 2001. US Secretary of State Rice has also underlined the firm US understanding that there will be no rendition through the UK, our Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies or airspace without first receiving our express permission.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the implementation of a no-fly zone over Sudan on the prospects for peace and security in the region; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We are not currently proposing a no-fly zone for Darfur. We assess that a no-fly zone would restrict essential humanitarian operations and be a major logistical challenge due to the size of Darfur and the lack of available air assets. The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is mandated to monitor military activity, including flights prohibited by UN Security Council Resolution 1591. We continue to press all parties for the rapid and full deployment of UNAMID.

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff claimed £34,938 in expenses for UK taxi travel during the financial year 2006-07. Staff of FCO Services, which was then an Executive agency and is now a Trading Fund, claimed £8,638 in the same period.
	We do not hold central records of taxi claims for earlier years. To provide this information would incur a disproportionate cost.

USA: Bank Services

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 130W, on the USA: bank services, what progress has been made on establishing guiding principles for intervention in extraterritoriality cases since July 2008.

Bill Rammell: While discussions on guiding principles are still ongoing, we continue to oppose the excessive use of extra-territorial legislation. There has been continued regular contact with UK companies about the applications of US extraterritoriality, and we continue to raise the issue with US interlocutors of the excessive extraterritorial reach of US jurisdiction as appropriate.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that the issue of human rights abuses in Western Sahara is raised during the ongoing negotiations to grant Morocco advanced status with the European Union.

Bill Rammell: The UK welcomes closer co-operation between the EU and Morocco, including the proposal for an Advanced Status Agreement currently under discussion between EU member states, the Commission and Morocco. The issue of Western Sahara, while not discussed within the context of the advanced status, remains part of the political dialogue between the EU and Morocco. We expect that both Western Sahara and human rights will be discussed as part of the political dialogue at the next EU-Morocco Association Council on 13 October.
	The UK continues to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1813 of 30 April, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his staff, and the negotiation process currently under way. We hope a further round of talks will take place later this year.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer questions  (a) (i) 223176, (ii) 223177, (iii) 223178, (iv) 223179 and (v) 223180 tabled on 3 September and  (b) (A) 224249 and (B) 224248 tabled on 10 September by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South.

Gillian Merron: Written parliamentary questions 223176, 223177, 223178, 223179, 223180, 224249 and 224248 were delayed due to administrative error.
	PQ 233177 was answered on 15 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1262W, PQ223180 was answered on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 634W and PQ 224249 was answered on 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 969W.
	Answers for the remaining parliamentary questions will be issued very shortly.
	I apologise for the delay.

JUSTICE

Arrest Warrants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many outstanding warrants have been issued for category  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) C offences to individuals whom the police cannot trace in each police authority in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: All failure to appear (FTA) warrants count as outstanding from the moment they are received from the courts until the time they are either executed or withdrawn. The following table sets out the number of outstanding FTA warrants as at 31 March for each of the last three financial years. This information is published on CJSonline.
	Areas have only been required to provide a breakdown of this figure by category A, B and C since the 2007-08 financial year, therefore this information is available for 31 March 2008 only. These data have previously only been made available to practitioners and have not been validated in the same way as the data published on CJSonline.
	It is not possible to tell from centrally collected data how long each of these warrants has been outstanding. However police forces keep outstanding FTA warrants under regular review to ensure that all possible steps are taken to execute these warrants as quickly as possible.
	
		
			   FTA warrants outstanding  Number of FTA warrants outstanding by category as at  31 March 2008 
			  CJS areas  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008  A  B  C 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,347 1,161 918 134 294 490 
			 Bedfordshire 496 508 319 40 128 151 
			 Cambridgeshire 548 438 388 88 147 153 
			 Cheshire 305 311 257 13 179 65 
			 Cleveland 267 225 195 40 95 60 
			 Cumbria l09 105 117 23 68 26 
			 Derbyshire 270 300 257 101 106 50 
			 Devon and Cornwall 430 303 257 70 136 51 
			 Dorset 510 416 318 91 155 72 
			 County Durham and Darlington 159 149 120 4 80 36 
			 Dyfed-Powys 177 143 127 10 59 58 
			 Essex 915 995 799 84 384 331 
			 Gloucestershire 245 200 166 26 97 43 
			 Greater Manchester 3,671 2,475 1,835 170 608 1,057 
			 Gwent 282 243 181 28 60 93 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 926 788 641 69 412 160 
			 Hertfordshire 427 364 343 41 196 106 
			 Humberside 312 244 214 19 75 120 
			 Kent 759 675 557 79 279 199 
			 Lancashire 988 896 749 72 335 342 
			 Leicestershire 886 659 513 93 207 213 
			 Lincolnshire 783 718 552 126 136 290 
			 London 9,779 7,278 6,040 1,149 3,650 1,241 
			 Merseyside 1,730 1,109 784 222 316 246 
			 Norfolk 387 425 275 16 101 158 
			 North Wales 213 143 128 28 83 17 
			 North Yorkshire 213 147 129 38 39 52 
			 Northamptonshire 266 258 244 19 192 33 
			 Northumbria 740 685 576 56 270 250 
			 Nottinghamshire 624 598 510 120 253 137 
			 South Wales 911 1,018 890 91 303 496 
			 South Yorkshire 691 432 330 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Staffordshire 552 489 327 40 240 47 
			 Suffolk 527 424 373 48 140 142 
			 Surrey 260 250 223 33 158 32 
			 Sussex 734 639 556 106 351 99 
			 Thames Valley 1,811 1,462 1,204 126 646 432 
			 Warwickshire 154 147 159 38 81 40 
			 West Mercia 577 546 354 39 214 101 
			 West Midlands 1,828 1,545 1,091 202 507 382 
			 West Yorkshire 992 802 886 225 357 304 
			 Wiltshire 138 166 137 2 117 18

Driving Offences

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cars have been confiscated from uninsured drivers in  (a) Wales and  (b) each region of England in (i) each of the last 10 years and (ii) 2008.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally.

First-tier Tribunal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the new practice directions for the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal will be published.

Bridget Prentice: The final drafts of the Practice Directions to be made by the Senior President of Tribunals for the jurisdictions within the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal was sent to the Lord Chancellor for his approval by 17 October 2008. Subject to the Lord Chancellor's approval they will then be published on the Tribunal Procedure Committee's website.

Foston Hall Prison and Young Offender Institution

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are taken to maintain the support offered to young women within the Toscana Unit at HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Foston Hall after transfer to another institution or release; and if he will make a statement on the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on the work of the unit.

David Hanson: The report is very positive, referring to a stable and supportive environment. Like other juvenile secure facilities, the Toscana Unit is working with youth offending teams to ensure as much continuity as possible in the support provided to the young people throughout their sentence. That aim is underpinned by the National Standards for Youth Justice Services 2004 and by best practice guidance in the new allocations operations manual for young people which is about to be issued.

Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he is making in his consideration of the extension of the applicability of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to include private companies delivering public services, with specific reference to the transport sector.

Jack Straw: The Government are continuing to assess the issues relating to designating additional public authorities under the Act; this includes bodies in the transport sector. We will publish our response in due course.

Prisoners Release

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of knife or gun-related offences served their full sentence in each of the last 10 years, broken down by type of crime.

Jack Straw: It is not possible to identify those crimes in which a gun or a knife was used as these will be charged according to the generic offence, for example, murder, manslaughter, wounding, etc. The only statistics available are those for specific weapons related offences, which are largely for possession. The following table shows the number of persons sentenced to immediate custody for indictable offences relating to weapons.
	All offenders sentenced to custody serve their full sentence as prescribed by law. A custodial sentence comprises two parts. The first part is spent in custody and the second part is served on licence in the community. In addition, some offenders subject to determinate sentences may benefit from the home detention curfew (HDC), early removal scheme (ERS) or end of custody licence (ECL) scheme, which provide for release earlier than the statutory release date of the sentence under certain circumstances. Certain violent offenders are presumed unsuitable for HDC unless there are exceptional circumstances and are ineligible for ECL. In addition, certain categories of prisoner are currently excluded from ERS, for example, extended sentence prisoners and those subject to sex offender registration. None of these schemes apply to prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence. These sentences do not have a statutory release date and release is determined by the Parole Board.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced( 1)  to immediate custody for offences relating to weapons 
			  Offence class   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Wounding etc. Possession of firearms etc., with intent to endanger life 122 133 123 66 43 46 46 36 31 31 37 
			  Using etc. firearms or imitation firearms with intent to resist arrest etc. 11 8 7 9 5 5 3 8 6 9 6 
			  
			 Other wounding, etc Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 401 509 585 554 595 634 787 760 817 829 788 
			  Possessing firearm or imitation firearm at time of committing or being arrested for an offence 12 13 28 23 36 38 46 50 36 39 52 
			  Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit indictable offence 48 34 46 49 61 66 59 44 60 30 36 
			  Possession of a firearm or imitation firearm, with intent to cause fear of violence 68 60 67 135 142 195 209 253 252 256 211 
			  Having an article with a blade or point in a public place 56 372 550 534 499 589 766 755 803 965 1,065 
			  Having an article with a blade or point on school premises — 3 — 2 7 3 7 6 12 5 13 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises 1 4 5 3 6 3 5 4 4 3 3 
			  
			 Firearms Act Possessing etc. firearms or ammunition without firearm certificate 180 167 110 85 55 61 55 97 92 63 74 
			  Trading in firearms without being registered as a firearms dealer — 1 1 — — 1 — — 1 — 1 
			  Selling firearm to person without a certificate 1 4 1 1 1 — 1 — — 2 — 
			  Repairing, testing etc. firearm for person without a certificate — 1 1 — — — — — — 2 — 
			  Shortening a shotgun or other smooth bore gun 10 9 4 4 — — 4 — — 1 — 
			  Conversion of firearms 2 2 — 1 — 1 2 7 5 — 1 
			  Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition 108 107 171 138 143 131 176 216 252 242 212 
			  Carrying loaded firearm in public place 31 31 32 17 20 17 31 37 33 29 23 
			  Trespassing with firearm or imitation firearm in a building 1 — — 2 — 4 — — 2 1 2 
			  Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime 40 45 48 53 55 32 38 38 55 57 46 
			  Failure to notify Police of deactivation, destruction or loss of firearms or ammunition — — — — — — — — — 1 — 
			  Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc. — — — — — — — — 27 75 88 
			  Possessing or distributing firearms disguised as other objects — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			  Possessing or distributing other prohibited weapons — — — — — — — — 3 1 2 
			  
			 Knives Act Unlawful marketing or selling of knives — — — — 1 — — 1 — — — 
			  Publication of any material likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour involving use of the knife as a weapon — — — — — — — — — — 2 
			  
			 All All offences 1,092 1,503 1,779 1,676 1,669 1,826 2,235 2,312 2,492 2,641 2,662 
			 (1) Principal offence  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 2. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Prisoners Release

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released in 2007 had served less than half of their custodial sentence.

Maria Eagle: No data are yet available on discharges from prison in 2007. The latest available data are for 2006. In 2006, 78,500 prisoners were released from prison of whom 13,666 were released earlier than the halfway point of their sentence under the Home Detention Curfew scheme. A number of foreign national prisoners subject to deportation would also have been removed early under the early removal scheme but figures on this for 2006 are not available. All other prisoners were discharged on or after the half way point of the sentence depending on the statutory release arrangements that applied to them.

Prisoners: Education

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners gained  (a) GCSEs,  (b) A-levels,  (c) NVQs and  (d) other qualifications while in custody in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Bill Rammell) to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 31 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 595-98W, for a detailed breakdown of qualifications achieved by prisoners over the age of 18. Information on qualifications achieved by prisoners under the age of 18, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Children, Young People and Families (Beverley Hughes) on 21 May 2008,  Official Report, column 362W, to the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Burrowes).

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information and guidance is available to users of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal whose cases will be taken forward under the new system after 3 November 2008.

Bridget Prentice: The Special Educational Needs Appeal booklet and the Disability Discrimination Act claim booklet are currently being revised; both will be available before 3 November. Guidance is also being drafted for the case management hearings and will be sent out when a case is acknowledged.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal on users who have an autism spectrum disorder.

Bridget Prentice: This group of service users need extra and expert support under the current regulations for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. Panels who deal with these service users deploy specialist experience and great skill in facilitating their presentation and participation to achieve balance, fairness and appropriate outcomes for the child who is the subject of the appeal. The judiciary with input from the Special User Group, which has included the National Autistic Society, have taken the needs of this user group into account in the development of the forms and processes resulting from the new Health, Education and Social Care Rules, and the accompanying Practice Directions.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information is available to advocacy groups and other groups providing support to families using the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal about the changes to the Tribunal taking place after 3 November 2008.

Bridget Prentice: Current guidance on how to appeal or make a claim, the Special Educational Needs Appeal booklet and the Disability Discrimination Act claim booklet, are both being revised. They will be available before 3 November. Guidance will be drafted for the case management hearings. In addition we are undertaking comprehensive training in November of all users.

Warrants: Council Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) liability orders and  (b) warrants of commitment were issued in respect of council tax arrears in each region of England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Bridget Prentice: Information on the number of liability orders is not held centrally on Ministry of Justice systems. It could be provided by contacting each magistrates court and manually collating only at a disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the number of people who were received in England and Wales prison establishments having been committed for non-payment of council tax (or community charge) in each year from 1997 to 2006. This is the most recent 10-year period for which published statistics are available. It is not possible to break down these figures by region.
	
		
			   Number of prison receptions 
			 1997 357 
			 1998 194 
			 1999 101 
			 2000 41 
			 2001 29 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 30 
			 2004 28 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 45 
			  Source: Ministry of Justice report "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006", table 7.10 
		
	
	It is likely that the numbers of warrants of commitment issued in respect of council tax arrears are higher than the numbers of people received in prison, as shown in this table. This is because it is possible for an individual to avoid being conveyed to prison by repaying arrears promptly and in full once a warrant of commitment is issued in their name.

Whitemoor Prison: Homicide

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many attempted murders have taken place at HMP Whitemoor in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: In the last three years no prisoner at Whitemoor has been charged by the police with the criminal offence of attempted murder.

Whitemoor Prison: Prisoners Release

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been released early under the Government's early release scheme from HMP Whitemoor in the last 12 months.

David Hanson: There have been no prisoners released from Whitemoor prison under the end of custody licence (ECL) scheme in the 12 month period up to the end of end of August 2008, the latest period for which data are available.
	Data for all prisons are published monthly, in the statistical bulletin End of Custody Licence releases and recalls, available from the Library of the House and the Ministry of Justice website at the following address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm

Whitemoor Prison: Working Hours

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of staff working shifts was in each of the last three years at HMP Whitemoor.

David Hanson: Unified grades are contracted to work a 39 hour week, over a period of five days. The average length of a contracted shift is therefore seven hours and 48 minutes.
	Staff at Whitemoor also have the option to work "Payment Plus" and many have taken the option to do so.
	Payment Plus is a system of working additional hours over and above conditioned hours and attracts an enhanced rate of pay.
	To calculate the effect of Payment Plus hours on the average shift length would involve considerable disproportionate cost.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1035W, on young offenders, what the average length of sentence was for young offenders convicted for offences involving  (a) violence against a person,  (b) burglary,  (c) robbery,  (d) sexual offences and  (e) illegal drugs where a custodial sentence was handed down in 2005.

Maria Eagle: The requested information is contained in the following table.
	Statistics are provided on a calendar year basis for 2005.
	
		
			  Average length of immediate custodial sentence( 1)  for various offence groups by age group, all courts, England and Wales, 2005 
			  Average length of sentence (months) 
			   Age group 
			  Offence description  Juveniles—10 to 17-year-olds  Young adults—18 to 20-year-olds  10 to 20-year-olds 
			 Violence against the person 13.1 17.4 16.1 
			 Burglary 9.3 13.9 12.2 
			 Robbery 17.0 31.4 24.7 
			 Sexual offences 29.7 34.4 32.4 
			 Drug offences 15.2 26.5 24.3 
			 (1) Months: excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Principal offence basis.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Housing: Insulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in  (a) England and  (b) the East Midlands have budgeted for insulation improvements to their housing stock in 2008-09.

Iain Wright: holding answer 16 October 2008
	Data on local authority budgeted capital spend are provided through the Business Plan Statistical Appendix. The returns for the financial year 2007-08, which contain the budget data for 2008-09, are expected to be published in November 2008.
	The latest Business Plans by which local authorities provide the Department with such data give budgeted spend for 2007-08. For that year out of 205 local authorities who still owned council housing, 142 indicated they planned some spend on insulation activity during 2007-08. Five authorities did not provide data on this question.
	In the East Midlands 16 out of 32 local authorities owning council housing planned some spend on insulation activity during 2007-08.

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has been agreed with each of her Department's non-departmental bodies for the period 2008 to 2011.

Sadiq Khan: The Department currently sponsors 11 executive non-departmental public bodies, as follows:
	
		
			   Website 
			 The Community Development Foundation http://cdf.vbnlive.com/default.asp 
			 English Partnerships http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/ 
			 Firebuy http://www.firebuy.gov.uk/ 
			 The Housing Corporation http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/ 
			 The Housing Ombudsman Service http://www.ihos.org.uk/ 
			 The Leasehold Advisory Service http://www.lease-advice.org/ 
			 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation http://www.ltgdc.org.uk/ 
			 The Standards Board for England http://www.standardsboard.gov.uk/ 
			 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation http://www.thurrocktgdc.org.uk/ 
			 The Valuation Tribunal Service http://www.valuation-tribunals.gov.uk/ 
			 West Northants Development Corporation http://www.wndc.co.uk/ 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Gentlemen to bodies' websites via the links in the table. Available information on funding may be found in documents such as the bodies' corporate or business plans.

Eco-Towns

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she or her Ministers will agree to meet members of the public from each selected eco-town site to discuss the relevant eco-town proposal; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what meetings she and the Minister of State for Housing have had on eco-towns since the latter's appointment; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 308W. There have been no further visits to eco-town locations since the Housing Minister's recent appointment on 3 October. My right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) and I met residents from areas affected by eco-towns in the House on 30 June 2008.

Empty Property

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty houses suitable for occupation there were in each region in England in 2007-08.

Iain Wright: Information on empty houses suitable for occupation is not held centrally.

Fire Services: Hotels

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to collect data on the number of fires in bed and breakfast establishments as a separate category from all existing accommodation premises; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The new Incident Recording System, to which all Fire and Rescue Services will be submitting data from 2009-10, includes a category of building of 'Boarding House/Bed and Breakfast'.

Fire Services: Hotels

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to review the implementation by fire and rescue authorities of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, in respect of its operation regarding bed and breakfast establishments.

Sadiq Khan: We are at present carrying out an interim evaluation of the impact that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has had on the enforcers, responsible persons and the fire safety industry since it took effect in October 2006. This will gather qualitative information from a range of responsible persons within the business sector, including from small accommodation providers.
	We will publish the evaluation report when it becomes available.

Fire Services: Hotels

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with  (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport,  (b) fire and rescue authorities and  (c) representatives of tourism organisations in England on the implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: My predecessor met with the Minister for Tourism and representatives from VisitBritain on 21 July to discuss issues around implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
	My officials have also worked closely with officials in the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, representatives of tourism organisations in England and with the Chief Fire Officers Association to produce tailored information on the Order specifically for responsible persons in the small, independent accommodation sector. We aim to publish this information shortly.

Fire Services: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters there were per 100,000 residents in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: Information on the number of firefighters per 100,000 population in Northamptonshire and England is as follows.
	
		
			  Firefighters per 100,000 population 
			   Northamptonshire  England 
			 1997-98 82 92 
			 2006-07 83 89 
			  Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 April 2008,  Official Report, column 322W, on home information packs, how many penalty charge notices have been issued for breaches of home information pack duties; and how many of these resulted in further legal action.

Iain Wright: There is no requirement for the Department to be informed when a penalty charge notice is issued. Section 175 of the Housing Act 2004 requires enforcement authorities to notify the Office of Fair Trading where a penalty charge notice for a breach of the home information pack duties has been issued.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the capital value of  (a) housing association and  (b) council housing stock in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 29-31W.
	Latest 2007 figures for local authorities from the capital outturn returns have been published since the original answer was provided. The latest figure for fixed assets is supplied in the following table.
	
		
			  Value of local authority fixed assets as at 31 March 2007 
			   £ million 
			 All council dwellings 99,286 
			  Notes: 1. LA stock valued at Existing Use Value: Social Housing (EUV-SH), a statutory requirement as at 1 April 2000. 2. 1998 laid down in the Library of the House of Commons. Not available on the web.  Source: Communities and Local Government, Local Government Financial Statistics England: Capital Outturn Return (COR) returns. 
		
	
	Figures on local authority fixed assets are published via the Department's website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/2008/lgfs18/index.html

Housing: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable homes were made available in Bournemouth in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of new affordable homes provided in Bournemouth each year from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 146 
			 2003-04 221 
			 2004-05 132 
			 2005-06 101 
			 2006-07 139 
		
	
	The figures show the number of new affordable homes provided in Bournemouth district council. Funding for some of these homes was provided by other local authorities. Bournemouth district council also funded affordable homes outside of its administrative boundary during this period.

Housing: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the introduction of new targets for housing provision in Bournemouth; and when she expects these plans to be brought forward.

Sadiq Khan: The targets for housing provision in Bournemouth are set out in the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes to the South West Regional Spatial Strategy, which is subject to public consultation until 24 October 2008. Following consideration of comments and views arising from this latest consultation period, the Secretary of State will publish the final regional spatial strategy.

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes for rent or sale to local people were built in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Iain Wright: There were 35,940 new affordable homes built in 2006-07. Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.
	Not all affordable housing is through new build completions. Supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In 2006-07, an additional 8,390 affordable homes were supplied through acquisitions which are not included in the figure above.
	Affordable housing new build figures are from the Housing Corporation Investment Management System (IMS), and HSSA returns and P2 returns submitted to CLG by local authorities.
	We do not have any information on whether affordable homes are let or sold to local people.

Inspections

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many inspectors were employed by her Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Sadiq Khan: During the financial year 2007-08 the Planning Inspectorate, an Executive Agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government, employed a total of 293 (full-time equivalent) inspectors. For the financial year 1997-98 it employed a total of 198 (full-time equivalent) inspectors.

Local Government Services: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on providing services of each type in Torbay in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is not held centrally in the form requested. The following information is available however. Grants paid by Communities and Local Government, and predecessor Departments to Torbay borough council since 2003-04 were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Programme  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Supporting People 6.252 6.322 5.949 5.849 5.833 30.205 
			 Homelessness 0.062 0.060 0.198 0.080 0.060 0.460 
			 Disabled Facilities Grants 0.255 0.250 0.292 0.328 0.328 1.453 
			 Housing and Planning Delivery Grant 0.075 0.512 0.777 0.343 0.272 1.979 
			 New Growth Points 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.662 0.662 
			 Private Finance Initiative—Westland and Homelands School (Phases 1 and 2) 1.780 1.713 1.425 1.425 1.425 7.768 
			 Private Sector Renewal Regeneration 0.000 0.000 0.000 1.131 1.014 2.145 
			 European Regional Development Fund 0.412 0.063 0.056 0.713 1.974 3.218 
			 Total Non-Formula Grants 8.836 8.920 8.697 9.869 11.568 47.890 
			 Formula Grants(1) 89.860 92.120 99.091 43.555 46.032 370.658 
			 (1) (a) Formula Grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, redistributed business rates, principal formula Police Grant, SSA Reduction Grant (SSA Review), SSA Reduction Grant (Police Funding Review) and Central Support Protection Grant where appropriate. (b) Prior to 2006-07 support for schools was paid through formula grant. In 2006-07 funding for schools transferred to the Dedicated Schools Grant paid by DCFS. (c) The amount of formula grant refers to the amount under the respective amending reports for those years. Further information on formula grant for Torbay can be found at  http://www.localcommunities.gov.uk/finance/0809/head0809s.xls.

Maps: Licensing

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether plans are in place to simplify the re-use of licences for Ordnance Survey mapping data.

Iain Wright: In common with other Trading Funds, Ordnance Survey is currently subject to an Assessment by The Shareholder Executive on behalf of Government. Once the Trading Funds Assessment is concluded and has reported to Government, Ministers will consider, if necessary consult, and then make decisions based upon the recommendations made by the assessment. Ordnance Survey will then develop and implement any necessary changes to its licences in line with these decisions.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) her Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for whom she has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government is an equal opportunities employer. The Department collects data volunteered by staff on whether or not they consider themselves to have a disability. The Department does not collect data as to the nature of the disability.
	The Department supports and develops staff who declare disabilities. Our staff counsellors are trained to offer support on a number of mental health issues. We also offer reasonable adjustments to help staff enter and remain in the workplace, whether a disability is physical or mental in nature. In line with Civil Service policy, our recruitment campaigns make clear that we welcome applicants who consider themselves to have a disability.
	Guidance on managing staff with mental health issues is also available to all line managers and, as part of the Department's Equalities Month in November, we are running a workshop on this issue in conjunction with City and Hackney MIND.

Planning Obligations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether monies collected under section 106 agreements can be used to pay for infrastructure projects other than those specified in the original agreement.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State's policy on planning obligations is set out in Government Circular 05/05, which is available in the Library of the House. The Secretary of State's policy says that planning obligations (also known as section 106 agreements) can be attached to a planning permission to make acceptable development which would otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms. Such obligations can prescribe the nature of development, compensate for loss or damage created by a development, or mitigate a development's impact. Planning obligations must be directly relevant to the proposed development. However, the impacts of a proposed development may extend beyond the immediate development site and therefore, developer contributions can be used to mitigate these off-site.
	Contributions may either be in kind or in the form of a financial contribution. Policies on types of payment, including pooling and maintenance payments, should be set out in local development frameworks. There should be a clear audit trail between the contribution made and the infrastructure provided. The use of developer contributions under section 106 agreements should reflect the purpose for which they were collected and be directly relevant to the proposed development. Therefore, monies collected under section 106 agreements should not be used to pay for infrastructure which was not intended by the original agreement. Planning obligations should never be used purely as a means of securing for the local community a share in the profits of development. The policy indicates that in the event that contributions are made towards specific infrastructure provision but the infrastructure is not provided within an agreed timeframe, arrangements should be made for contributions to be returned to developers. Local planning authorities must take the Secretary of State's policy into account and have reasons for departing from it.

Planning Permission: Northamptonshire

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of housing were given planning permission in Northamptonshire in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Local planning authorities (LPAs) submit returns to CLG on the number of planning decisions on major and minor residential developments, including percentage of decisions approved and the percentage approved within targets. However these returns do not include the number of housing units covered by each decision.
	In order to gain the information requested, the Government office east midlands has therefore approached the LPAs direct. In aggregating the figures for the number of housing units granted planning permission each year, some authorities have supplied net figures (i.e. excluding renewals or amendments of sites that already have planning permission). Where outline planning permission has been granted, the number of units is not always stated in the planning application and an assessment has to be made of the capacity of a site. This means that the statistics provided are not always on a common base.
	The following table includes the returns for each district in Northamptonshire.
	
		
			  Local planning authority  Housing units granted planning permission 2005-06  Housing units granted planning permission 2006/07  Housing unit s granted planning permission 2 007-08 
			 Corby 658 5889 143 
			 Daventry 324 101 119 
			 East Northamptonshire 359 244 111 
			 Kettering 772 859 597 
			 Northampton 646 500 693 
			 South Northamptonshire 306 208 216 
			 Wellingborough 563 257 3,710 
			 Total 3,628 8,058 5,589 
		
	
	The figures for Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire include any applications approved by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation who handle some major housing applications in these areas.

Planning: Sports

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account her Department takes of the public health benefit of developments that encourage physical activity and sport in designing planning policy.

Iain Wright: The promotion of public health and well-being is a central component of the Government's objectives for sustainable development. "Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development" (PPS1) which sets out the overarching planning policy in England, requires development plans to support the promotion of health and well-being by making provision for physical activity, and to address accessibility for all members of the community to leisure and community facilities.
	Specific guidance on how local authorities should plan for new sports and recreational facilities to meet the needs of local communities is set out in "Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation" (PPG 17).

Planning: Sports

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account will be taken of the public health benefit of developments that promote physical activity and sport in designating exemptions from the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Iain Wright: As my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) stated when the Planning Bill was in Commons Committee, our principal starting point is that almost all developments will have some imposition and impact on the need for infrastructure, and some call on local services or amenities—including those developments that promote public health, physical activity and sport. For instance, a new swimming pool or sports centre will have impacts upon the local road network. In addition, exemptions to, or reductions from, CIL may cause complexity and distortion and reduce fairness. Therefore, the Government envisage that most types of development will be liable to pay CIL.
	The Government will however consider the case for exemptions when consulting on the regulations to implement CIL, and will set out the exemptions available in the final regulations. Any exemptions we create must be legally robust and based on coherent criteria, such as those set out at page 60 of the CIL policy document published in August.
	Our document is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/communityinfrastructurelevy.pdf

Powers of Entry

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many powers of entry her Department and its predecessors have  (a) introduced in legislation and  (b) repealed since 1997.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the right hon. and learned Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) on 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 577W.

Regional Planning and Development: Renewable Energy

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will assess the effect of the implementation of the Government's Green Belt policy and Planning Policy Guidance 2 on policies which aim to tackle climate change by promoting small-scale renewable energy projects such as domestic wind turbines;
	(2)  whether she plans to review the planning policy regulations as they apply to small-scale renewable energy projects in the green belt.

Iain Wright: This summer's consultation on the Government's Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) has looked at how the UK is to achieve its share of the target that 20 per cent. of the EU's energy consumption must come from renewable sources by 2020. The RES explains that the substantial switch to renewables in the timescale required cannot be achieved without the right response from the planning system. National planning policies already expect regional and local planners to actively plan for and support renewable energy generation. The RES acknowledges however that it may not always be clear to local planning authorities, applicants and other users how elements of this framework come together in any given case. We have therefore said we will ensure our planning policies for renewable energy are updated quickly to reflect the new RES when in place next year.
	Planning Policy Statement 22 on renewable energy already makes it clear that the very special circumstances required to justify the grant of planning permission for inappropriate development in a green belt may include the wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources. Planning authorities have also been advised not to reject planning applications simply because the level of output is small.
	Separately, we are also freeing up from the need to apply for planning permission those small-scale renewable energy projects that can be supported as permitted development. In April 2008 amendments were made to the General Permitted Development Order which enable small-scale domestic microgeneration development including solar ground and water-source heat pumps, biomass heating and combined heat and power systems to proceed without the need for a specific planning application. Further amendments are planned for micro wind turbines and air source heat pumps once the issue of potential nuisance to neighbours from noise has been resolved. We are also considering the scope for extending permitted development rights to non-domestic small-scale renewables.

Regional Planning and Development: Retail Trade

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research she has  (a) commissioned,  (b) evaluated and  (c) undertaken on the effects of planning regulation upon small independent retailers; and whether such research includes analysis of the effects of large-scale, out-of-town developments on small retailers.

Iain Wright: Our "Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres", published for consultation on 10 July 2008, which seeks to improve the effectiveness of our town centre policy and strengthen our policy protection for small shops, and the vitality and viability of town centres, was accompanied by a detailed assessment of the impact of our proposals and the supporting evidence base. The assessment takes account of a number of studies, particularly the Parliamentary All Party Small Shops Group report "High Street Britain: 2015", published in 2006, and the detailed analysis by the Competition Commission groceries market investigation into the extent to which there are distortions in competition between large grocery retailers and convenience store operators. Our assessment has also drawn upon a number of other studies to inform our proposals, including:
	1. Our research report on the "Policy Evaluation of the Effectiveness of PPG6" which we published in 2004;
	2. Research into "The role and vitality of Secondary Shopping", published by the National Retail Planning Forum in 2004, which was co-sponsored by the Department;
	3. The "Smaller Towns Report", published by the British Council of Shopping Centres in 2004; and
	4. A report on the future of retail property "In town or out of town?", published by the British Council of Shopping Centres in 2006.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants in her Department were seconded to work for  (a) trade unions and  (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since its inception.

Sadiq Khan: Since the inception of Communities and Local Government on 5 May 2006, the Department has seconded one civil servant to a trade union.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of development corporations in meeting their objectives.

Iain Wright: There are three Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) in England: London Thames Gateway Development Corporation; Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation; and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation. All three are executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by Communities and Local Government whose performance is assessed through the Corporate Plan, Business Plan and Annual Report process.
	All three UDCs have recently had their Corporate Plans signed off by Ministers. The Corporate Plans establish the strategic direction, investment priorities and delivery targets of the Corporations for the next three years (2008-09 to 2010-11).
	Under the terms of their management statement each UDC is scheduled to undergo a full review after five years. The reviews for all three UDCs are scheduled to take place in 2009.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department  (a) promotes and  (b) funds the promotion of days or weeks dedicated to animal welfare.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not promote or fund the promotion of days or weeks dedicated to animal welfare.

Arts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which regional development agencies have established regional beacons for the creative industries; and what the cost of doing so has been for each.

Barbara Follett: Seven Regional Development Agencies are part of the project for a network of beacons for creative industries business support leads. Those involved are; South East Regional Development Agency; South West Regional Development Agency; East Midlands Regional Development Agency; West Midlands Regional Development Agency; Yorkshire Forward; North-West Regional Development Agency; and One North-East. The costs of running the project during 2008-09 is approximately £80,000.

Arts: Greater London

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to better champion London's creative festivals.

Barbara Follett: In February this year the Government published 'Creative Britain, New Talents for the New Economy', our strategy for the creative industries. Following discussions with representatives of the office of the Mayor of London and other partners, the strategy set out a shared aspiration to champion London's many creative festivals and forge better, mutually beneficial links with important festivals around the country.
	'Creative Britain' also expresses the Government's strong support for established London festivals such as the London Film Festival, London Fashion Week, the London Games Festival, London Design Week and the Frieze Art Fair.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (James Purnell), hosted a Christmas reception for the Department's non-departmental public bodies in December 2007, at a cost of £11,600; and a reception for journalists at a cost of £1,637. He attended 10 Christmas functions in total while in post.
	The annual staff party at DCMS is self-funded by staff, and any profits made are donated to the DCMS Civil Service Sports & Social Club account. Information on functions that DCMS officials attended or hosted could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has only one executive agency, The Royal Parks (TRP). The TRP held an annual staff Christmas party in 2007. This was paid for by TRP directors and not the public purse. All TRP staff were also invited to the winter wonderland fair in Hyde park by the organizer of the event. A further seven Christmas functions attended by a TRP staff member were recorded in the Agency's hospitality register. There was no cost to the public purse.

Cultural Heritage

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff were employed by his Department to work on heritage in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: Such headcount information as is available is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Headcount 
			 2003-04 37 
			 2004-05 38 
			 2005-06 37 
			 2006-07 36 
			 2007-08 30 
		
	
	These figures represent the position at the end of each financial year.

Culture: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much under each budgetary heading his Department spent on strategic commissioning in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: In the past five years, the Department has spent sums on strategic commissioning in the following areas:
	 (i) Strategic Commissioning programme for museums and galleries
	The total amount spent on the Strategic Commissioning programme for museums and galleries in the past five years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 2.495 
			 2004-05 2.284 
			 2005-06 4.593 
			 2006-07 4.551 
			 2007-08 4.429 
		
	
	 (ii) Development of youth theatre
	In 2005, the Department allocated £1.8 million in strategic commissioning funding to the Arts Council for England for the development of youth theatre for the period 2005-08. The Young People's Participatory Theatre project received £1.58 million of this funding up to the end of 2007-08.
	 (iii) Culture Online
	Culture Online, a DCMS programme, established in 2002 and ending in March 2007, received £13 million of funding from the Department for the strategic commissioning of a range of projects. Further details of this funding can be found in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) to the hon. Member on 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2124W.

Departmental Income

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department received from each of its sponsored bodies and agencies in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1298-1300W by my hon. Friend the Minister of Sport about the material financial transactions recorded on our systems relating to rental income. The identification of additional transactions could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on employing press officers in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: The total annual cost (including employer's costs) of employing press officers in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   DCMS (£) 
			 2003-04 396,881 
			 2004-05 440,314 
			 2005-06 494,402 
			 2006-07 689,163 
			 2007-08 633,807 
		
	
	The costs increased in 2006-07 due to the need to employ additional press officers to deal with Olympic issues, following London's successful bid in July 2005 to host the 2012 games.
	Information for 2008-09 has not been included as the current year's expenditure has not yet been audited.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department's civil servants in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department can provide only partial information on the total expenditure as some transactions have been amalgamated into general travel and subsistence claims and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figure provided is the total amount spent on individual government procurement cards for the last 12 months up to and including the end of September 2008.
	The total amount spent on accommodation was £43,748.

Departmental Recruitment

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which were the three most expensive appointments in relation to recruitment advertising in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in each case.

Barbara Follett: The three most expensive appointments in relation to recruitment advertising in the last two financial years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			£ 
			  2006-07 Permanent secretary 57,000.00 
			  Administrative officers (25 vacancies) 21,054.00 
			  Sport communications co-ordinator 5,000.00 
			
			  2007-08   
			  The Head of Communications, Government Olympic Executive 30,069.00 
			  Director general, Government Olympic Executive 87,395.00 
			  Finance and Programme director, Government Olympic Executive 63,271.00 
		
	
	The recruitment related costs for the period 2005-06 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of written Questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of named day written questions answered on the named day in the current parliamentary session by DCMS Ministers is 202 (39.8 per cent.).

Festivals and Special Occasions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on days of  (a) religious and  (b) cultural celebration in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Over the last 12 months, the Department has not spent anything on religious days and has spent £1,230 on cultural celebrations.

Film: Digital Technology

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which locations have been selected to host mixed media centres as set out in the cross-departmental report, New Talents for the New Economy.

Barbara Follett: In "Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy" we outlined six venues that would be used as indicative case studies. They are Broadway, Nottingham; Cornerhouse, Manchester; Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool; Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre, Sheffield; Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and Watershed, Bristol.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Heritage Lottery Fund has received from the National Lottery Distribution Fund in each year since 2000 in 2007-08 prices.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The amounts drawn down by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) in each year are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Amounts drawn down by HLF from the NLDF (2007-08 prices) 
			   £000 
			 2000-01 348,795 
			 2001-02 308,635 
			 2002-03 302,177 
			 2003-04 359,219 
			 2004-05 332,942 
			 2005-06 396,130 
			 2006-07 378,435 
			 2007-08 309,868

Inspections

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many inspectors were employed by his Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No inspectors were employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Licensing Act 2003

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations the Government has received on the operation of the Licensing Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department continues to receive a number of letters from hon. Members and members of the public on general licensing issues. More specifically, two recent consultations on minor variations and proposals to allow the removal of the requirement for a designated premises supervisor for village and other community halls, attracted 83 and 67 responses respectively.

Living Places Partnership: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department,  (b) Sport England,  (c) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council,  (d) English Heritage and  (e) Arts Council England contributed to the Living Places Partnership in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information from the Living Places Partnership, is that DCMS, SE, MLA and EH contributed £20,000 in 2007-08, and ACE provided £82,254. In 2006-07, some Living Places partner organisations contributed in-kind through their time on developing the plans for Living Places. There were no formal partnership subscriptions for Living Places in 2005-06.

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts: Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press and communications officers are employed by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) currently employs an executive director of communications, a media manager and a commercial assistant.

National Identity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions on the possibility of introducing a UK-wide British Day; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Governance of Britain agenda.
	The Prime Minister asked Lord Goldsmith to carry out a review of citizenship as part of the Governance of Britain programme. Lord Goldsmith reported to the Prime Minister in March 2008. Among his recommendations was considering the case for creating a national day focused on ideas about shared citizenship.
	A number of Lord Goldsmith's recommendations merit further consideration across Government and will be taken into account in discussion and debate on policy development in these areas. However, there are no plans to introduce a national day at the present time.

Olympic Games 2012

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government plans to take to develop new sporting talent to participate in the London 2012 Olympics.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 9 October 2008
	The Government and UK Sport are providing significant exchequer and lottery funding to Olympic and Paralympic sports through the World Class Performance programme. This funding supports podium level athletes with medal winning capabilities at 2012, development level athletes with medal winning prospects at future Olympic and Paralympic games, and the identification of athletes who have the potential to become podium and development level athletes.
	In addition, UK Sport, in partnership with the English Institute of Sport and Paralympics GB, has developed a number of specific talent identification and development programmes for 2012, including Pitch2Podium, for example, which aims to recruit released academy footballers onto fast track Olympic development programmes.

Playing Fields: Planning Permission

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish his Department's statistics on planning applications affecting playing fields in 2006-07.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England has advised that in December 2008 it intends to publish statistics on planning applications affecting playing fields in 2006- 07.

Public Libraries: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding public libraries received from the public purse in each year since 1997, expressed in 2008 prices.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is as follows:
	 British Library
	DCMS grant in aid funding for the British Library is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  British Library funding, incorporating resource and capital grant in aid 
			  £ million 
			   Historic prices  Current prices( 1) 
			 2006-07 104.4 107.6 
			 2005-06 102.6 108.6 
			 2004-05 100.6 108.7 
			 2003-04 90.1 100.0 
			 2002-03 86.1 98.2 
			 2001-02 85.1 100.2 
			 2000-01 82.2 99.0 
			 1999-2000 83.2 101.5 
			 1998-99 80.4 100.0 
			 1997-98 87.2 110.8 
		
	
	 Public library  f unding
	Government funding is provided to the full range of public libraries through a number of channels. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) provide funding in support of particular projects and programmes. The funding provided since 1997-98 is as follows:
	
		
			  MLA support for public libraries( 2) 
			£ million 
			   Historic prices  Current prices( 1) 
			 2006-07 (3)3.7 3.8 
			 2005-06 5.1 5.4 
			 2004-05 6.3 6.8 
			 2003-04 5.0 5.6 
			 2002-03 6.1 7.0 
			 2001-02 5.4 6.4 
			 2000-01 1.7 2.1 
			 1999-2000 4.3 5.3 
			 1998-99 0.7 0.9 
			 1997-98 0.5 0.6 
		
	
	In addition DCMS/Wolfson Public Library Challenge Fund funding in support of reading activities was as follows:
	
		
			  DCS/Wolfson Public Library Challenge Fund 
			  £ million 
			   Historic prices  Current prices( 1) 
			 2001-02 2.8 3.3 
			 2000-01 2.9 3.5 
			 1999-2000 2.9 3.5 
			 1998-99 1.9 2.4 
			 1997-98 2.3 2.9 
		
	
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has policy responsibility for public libraries but core funding for public libraries is paid to the 149 library authorities in England as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Local authorities' net current expenditure on public libraries, as advised by DCLG, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Net current expenditure (public libraries, England) 
			  £000 
			   Historic prices  Current prices( 1) 
			 2006-07 889,382 916,605 
			 2005-06 865,161 915,660 
			 2004-05 825,327 891,388 
			 2003-04 796,169 883,278 
			 2002-03 757,737 864,602 
			 2001-02 704,123 829,326 
			 2000-01 666,206 802,165 
			 1999-2000 644,321 785,987 
			 1998-99 624,388 776,641 
			 1997-98 607,045 771,135 
			 (1) Calculated using Gross Domestic Product deflators 2007-08 supplied by Her Majesty's Treasury. (2) Museums, Libraries and Archives Council spend that cannot be directly attributed to one of the three domains is excluded from the table. (3) This is a final figure and supersedes provisional figures supplied to Parliament at a previous date.

Regional Arts Councils: Manpower

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many people were employed by each regional arts council in 2007-08;
	(2)  how many people were employed by the regional arts boards of the Arts Council in 1997-08;
	(3)  how many people were employed by Arts Council England  (a) nationally and  (b) regionally in (i) 1997-08 and (ii) 2007-08.

Barbara Follett: The information requested has been provided by Arts Council England (ACE) and is set out in the table. In order to interpret the data in the table, it is important to realise that in 1997-98, the Arts Council of England and the 10 Regional Arts Boards were separate organisations, whereas in 2007-08, ACE compromised a national office and nine regional offices.
	
		
			  Heads   
			  Core/specific project  Organisation  1997-98  2007-08  Grand total  1997-98  2007-08 
			 Core Arts Council—National Office — 157 157 — — 
			  Arts Council of England 215.5 — 215.5 215.5 157 
			  East — 40 40 — — 
			  East Midlands — 43 43 — — 
			  East Midlands Arts Board 37 — 37 — — 
			  Eastern Arts Board 43 — 43 — — 
			  London 49 95 144 — — 
			  North East — 34 34 — — 
			  North West — 54 54 — — 
			  North West Arts 45 — 45 — — 
			  Northern Arts 38 — 38 — — 
			  South East — 43 43 — — 
			  South East Arts 30 — 30 — — 
			  South West — 48 48 — — 
			  South West Arts 29 — 29 — — 
			  Southern Arts 34 — 34 — — 
			  West Midlands — 48 48 — — 
			  West Midlands Arts 39 — 39 — — 
			  Yorkshire 40 39 79 384 444 
			 Core total  599.5 601 1,200.5 599.5 601 
			
			 Specific project Arts Council—National Office — 52 52 — 52 
			  East — 8 8 — — 
			  East Midlands — 15 15 — — 
			  London — 15 15 — — 
			  North East — 18 18 — — 
			  North West — 15 15 — — 
			  South East — 24 24 — — 
			  South West — 13 13 — — 
			  South West Arts 5 — 5 — — 
			  West Midlands — 11 11 — — 
			  Yorkshire — 11 11 5 130 
			 Specific project total  5 182 187 5 182 
			
			 Grand total  604.5 783 1387.5 604.5 783 
			 Less Creative Partnerships  — — — — 142 
			 Core activities and non-CP projects  — — — 604.5 641

Sports: Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what analysis he has made of the elite sports which field teams to represent Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland which receive no funds from UK Sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have not made any analysis of the elite sports which field teams to represent Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Sport is a devolved matter, and the Devolved Administrations are responsible for analysis of the respective national teams.

Sports: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent from the public purse per head on sport in  (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department does not draw a distinction between urban and rural areas. Detail on lottery grants is held on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport lottery grants database by constituency and local authority. An award may be sent to an address in an urban area for use in a rural area.

Sports: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the proportion of expenditure on sport which was funded by  (a) public money,  (b) sponsorship and  (c) other sources in 2007-08 .

Gerry Sutcliffe: The expenditure on sport in the tax year 2007-08 which was funded by public money (lottery and Exchequer funding) is as follows:
	The amount drawn down by the lottery sport distributors, consisting of Sport England, Sports Council Wales, Sport Scotland, Sports Northern Ireland and UK Sport according to the un-audited national lottery distribution fund's annual accounts in 2007-08 was £216.111 million.
	The amount drawn down by the Olympic lottery distributor from the Olympic lottery distribution fund in 2007-08 was £198.846 million. Again, this is an un-audited figure. In addition, some grants made by the Big Lottery Fund may have benefited groups related to sport.
	The amount of Exchequer funding was £193.9 million.
	My Department does not hold records of the expenditure on sport from either sponsorship or other sources. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Sports: Hearing Impaired

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason Government funding has been withdrawn from the British team for the 2009 Deaflympics in Taiwan; how much has been withdrawn; how many deaf athletes will be affected; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 16 October 2008
	Government funding was never committed to the 2009 Deaflympics. Funding has previously consisted of a single supplementary payment of £75,000 from UK Sport to the British Deaflympic team in 2005. UK Sport have since developed a new strategy focused on delivering success in the Paralympics and Olympics—through which deaf athletes are eligible for funding. From April 2005 to 31 March 2008, UK Sport also provided £42,000 a year for a development post in UK Deaf Sport. This funding has now ceased, bringing UK Deaf Sport in line with other national disability sports organisations. The English Federation of Disability Sport, funded by Sport England, provides these organisations with support at the grass-roots level. The Government remain hopeful that a British team will go to Taipei and that consequently deaf athletes will not be affected.

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with rules set out in the Department's Staff guide under Travel and Subsistence and is consistent with the Civil Service Management Code.
	The expenditure on taxis by the Department in each year since 2002 is set out in the table. These figures represent expenditure on taxis and black cabs. In addition, some expenditure on black cabs and taxis is included in general travel and subsistence account and cannot be separately identified except at disproportionate cost.
	The Department's agency, The Royal Parks, does not itemise taxi costs separately on its accounting system and the cost of disaggregating this expenditure manually from the relevant travel claims would be disproportionate to the amounts involved.
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2007-08 36,359 
			 2006-07 38,421 
			 2005-06 21,759 
			 2004-05 22,157 
			 2003-04 21,878 
			 2002-03 16,109

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department were seconded to work for  (a) trades unions and  (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since 2003 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have seconded to work for  (a) trade unions, one civil servant from the Department to the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) from January 2006 to June 2007;  (b) Trade Unions Congress, no civil servants.

World Heritage Policy Review

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects his Department to have completed its World Heritage Policy Review.

Barbara Follett: The Government are proposing to consult widely on its World Heritage Policy Review shortly. Following the consultation, should the Government decide to revise the UK tentative list of future nominations for World Heritage status, we anticipate the submission of a new list to UNESCO in 2011.

World Religion Day

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department allocated funding to the promotion of World Religion Day in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has not allocated any funding to the promotion of World Religion day in each of the last five years.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airports: Biometrics

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the compulsory biometric fingerprint checks of passengers on domestic flights will be introduced at  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick,  (c) Manchester and  (d) other airports; and which terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick airports will be included;
	(2)  whether an impact assessment has been made of the likely effect on passenger flows through  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick,  (c) Manchester and  (d) other UK airports of mandatory biometric fingerprinting, if introduced;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with the Information Commissioner about the introduction of biometric fingerprint checks at Heathrow and other UK airports.

Phil Woolas: Where there is a mixing of domestic and international passengers in a common departure lounge, the Government are considering requiring airport operators to verify the identity of travellers before boarding. This could be done through the use of biometrics such as fingerprints where it is considered a proportionate measure to manage border security. No final decisions have yet been taken on the proposal.
	As part of their consideration, the Government will have due regard to the potential impact that this might have on passenger flows and are committed to working with airport operators to minimise any impacts where possible.
	The Government have had several discussions with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on the issue of passenger verification at common departure lounges. The Government will continue to work closely with airport operators and the ICO on the measures required to maintain the security of the UK border and of air travel.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined  (a) up to £100,  (b) £101 to £250 and  (c) more than £250 for refusing to stop drinking or to surrender alcohol in a public place in each year since 2003.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 17 October 2008
	The number of people fined, and the level of fines received, for refusing to stop drinking and surrender alcohol in a designated public place can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons given fines for the offence of alcohol consumption in designated public places, by amount, all courts, England and Wales, 2003 to 2006 
			  Number of persons 
			Fine amounts  
			  Offence description   Up to and including £100  £101 to £250  Over £250  Total 
			 Alcohol consumption in designated public places 2003 71 1 1 73 
			  2004 76 2 — 78 
			  2005 61 2 — 63 
			  2006 58 1 — 59 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services.

Asylum

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to determine the immigration status of Zardash Budarham Hussain, reference: H1079437.

Phil Woolas: My predecessor wrote to the hon. Member on 30 July 2008.

Asylum

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers remained in the UK following the failure of their asylum application in each of the last five years; for what reasons failed asylum seekers are not removed from the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Since the phasing out of embarkation controls in 1994, no Government has been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally and that includes failed asylum seekers. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately and that remains the case.
	As part of the Government's 10-point plan for delivery, by December 2008 the majority of foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country. This is part of a sweeping programme of border protection which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, compulsory watch-list checks for all travellers from high-risk countries before they land in Britain and ID cards for foreign nationals.
	The UK Border Agency (UKBA) will only seek to enforce removal when the asylum application has been unsuccessful having been fully determined, including the exhaustion of suspensive appeal rights.
	The Enforcement business plan 'Enforcing the Deal' published in June 2008, sets out the UKBA's priorities for enforcing the immigration laws in the UK communities and increasing removals. Copies of this document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/managingourborders/enforcementbusinessplan08_09/enforcementbusinessplan08_09.pdf?view=Binary

Asylum

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have claimed asylum in the UK in each year since 2000; and how many of those people came from Commonwealth countries, other than Zimbabwe, in each year.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of people (principal applicants and dependants) who have claimed asylum is unavailable, by nationality, prior to 2002. The following table shows all nationalities and total Commonwealth principal asylum applications from 2000 to 2007. The Commonwealth total comprises 51 countries: this excludes United Kingdom, Fiji and Zimbabwe (Fiji was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth in December 2006 and Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003).
	
		
			  Asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 2000-07( 1) 
			   Total  Commonwealth total 
			 2000(2) 22,880 17,370 
			 2001 71,025 15,820 
			 2002 84,130 14,345 
			 2003 49,405 10,425 
			 2004 33,960 7,575 
			 2005 25,710 5,665 
			 2006 23,610 4,775 
			 2007(3) 23,430 5,110 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five. (2) Excludes Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Malta, Samoa, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad And Tobago. (3) Provisional figures.

Asylum: Employment

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what conditions asylum seekers may work when their application has not been determined after 12 months through no fault of theirs.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 16 October 2008
	An asylum applicant may apply for permission to take up employment if a decision at first instance has not been taken on the applicant's asylum application within one year of the date on which it was recorded. The application to take employment will only be considered if the delay in reaching a decision cannot be attributed to the applicant. If permission to work is granted, this precludes self-employment, business or professional activity.

Asylum: Kosovo

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the safety of Kosovo for the purposes of making determinations on asylum applications; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: As with all other asylum claims, Kosovan claims are considered very carefully on their individual merits against the background of the latest country information in accordance with our international obligations. We closely monitor conditions in Kosovo and those individuals able to demonstrate a need for international protection will be granted asylum or a different form of leave as appropriate. Kosovan nationals who have been found not to need international protection, and who have no right to remain in the UK but refuse to leave voluntarily, are liable to be removed.

Asylum: Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons from Somalia applied to enter the UK for the purposes of seeking asylum in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of persons from Somalia who applied to enter the UK for the purposes of seeking asylum in each of the last 10 years is published in Table 2.1 of Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2007 available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	For convenience the table is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Applications( 1)  received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by country of nationality, 1998 to 2007 , Somalia 
			   Number 
			 1998 4,685 
			 1999 7,495 
			 2000 5,020 
			 2001 6,420 
			 2002 6,540 
			 2003 5,090 
			 2004 2,585 
			 2005 1,760 
			 2006 1,845 
			 2007 1,615 
			 P = Provisional figures. n/a = Not applicable. (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five (- = 0, * = one or 2).  Note: 1 May exclude some cases lodged at local enforcement offices between January 1999 and March 2000.

Community Support Officers: Manpower

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers have been employed in each police force area in each year since their introduction.

Vernon Coaker: The available data are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force, as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2008( 3) 
			   31 March  each year 
			  Police force  2003  2004  2005( 4)  2006( 4)  2007( 4)  2008( 4) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 45 139 130 302 377 
			 Bedfordshire 0 12 40 41 83 120 
			 Cambridgeshire 6 57 86 101 184 197 
			 Cheshire 2 50 52 75 176 231 
			 Cleveland 37 77 75 100 114 170 
			 Cumbria 0 0 17 17 85 99 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 43 42 181 166 
			 Devon and Cornwall 19 51 74 74 317 354 
			 Dorset 6 8 47 61 122 151 
			 Durham 10 28 69 67 142 162 
			 Essex 10 86 179 192 388 436 
			 Gloucestershire 0 54 72 72 169 162 
			 Greater Manchester 160 173 269 251 763 773 
			 Hampshire 0 0 26 30 296 324 
			 Hertfordshire 14 46 98 139 223 246 
			 Humberside 0 0 20 20 194 318 
			 Kent 0 59 105 97 203 377 
			 Lancashire 77 110 161 184 374 400 
			 Leicestershire 28 41 103 136 216 212 
			 Lincolnshire 29 38 75 78 147 165 
			 London, City of 0 0 14 11 36 46 
			 Merseyside 40 72 170 196 332 407 
			 Metropolitan Police 513 1,463 2,147 2,315 3,694 4,247 
			 Norfolk 12 33 68 65 176 274 
			 Northamptonshire 12 10 37 40 129 159 
			 Northumbria 0 51 126 129 248 254 
			 North Yorkshire 0 52 75 71 147 180 
			 Nottinghamshire 10 56 108 112 217 259 
			 South Yorkshire 14 59 124 121 302 334 
			 Staffordshire 0 7 63 70 203 209 
			 Suffolk 0 15 34 30 123 140 
			 Surrey 21 56 115 126 203 211 
			 Sussex 22 83 228 257 352 372 
			 Thames Valley 0 7 98 130 213 521 
			 Warwickshire 11 25 56 64 127 133 
			 West Mercia 8 57 81 85 217 272 
			 West Midlands 0 39 219 252 644 748 
			 West Yorkshire 70 265 394 462 690 757 
			 Wiltshire 15 23 41 57 121 147 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 5 25 26 77 73 
			 Gwent 30 45 77 76 105 139 
			 North Wales 0 0 59 58 145 159 
			 South Wales 0 59 107 111 314 327 
			 Total England and Wales 1,176 3,418 6,214 6,769 13,497 15,805 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.  (2) Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.  (3) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03.  (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table.

Crime: Computers

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions were made for fraud committed against British victims on internet auction websites and online marketplaces in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions were made for illegal file sharing of copyrighted music or video via the internet in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions were made for selling counterfeit DVDs in each of the last three years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 13 October 2008
	The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, such as violence against the person and robbery. It is not possible to identify specific offences, or the individual circumstances of offences from within the main offence groups. The offence of selling counterfeit DVDs is not a notifiable offence and does not form a part of the arrests collection.
	Although data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on prosecutions and convictions do contain information on the statute under which individuals are prosecuted, such as the Trade Marks Act 1994, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the Computer Misuse Act 1990, the data available do not provide information on victims, nor the particulars of each case for example whether a prosecution was for illegal file sharing or another action covered by the statute.

Customs: Patrol Craft

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many customs patrol boats there are based on the Fylde coast; and where they are based.

Phil Woolas: UK Border Agency cutters are deployed on an intelligence-led basis to areas of highest risk. It is long standing HM Revenue and Customs policy not to divulge details of operational deployments or locations as these could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent relevant controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention of crime.

Departmental Air Travel

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether those staff of  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies who are entitled to business class or first class air travel are permitted to (i) travel in a cheaper class to the destination and (ii) benefit in monetary terms or kind from the saving.

Phil Woolas: Home Office staff are expected to use the most efficient and cost-effective means of air travel and are not allowed to benefit from savings gained by travelling in a cheaper class.
	This applies both to the choice of air travel and to the choice of particular flights—staff are expected to take advantage of cheap travel offers whenever possible.
	Home Office terms and conditions relating to travel expenses are set out in accordance with the principles contained in the travel section of the Civil Service Management Code issued by HM Treasury.

Departmental Air Travel

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 27W, on carbon emissions: Government Departments, how much air mileage incurred through departmental travel was used to calculate the departmental payment to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund in each year that her Department has participated in the fund, broken down by  (a) domestic,  (b) short haul and  (c) long haul flights.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office participates in the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund which is co-ordinated by DEFRA. This ensures the Department offsets carbon dioxide emissions from its official air travel.
	Figures for 2006-07 (the only year for which data have been published) are set out in the following table. These data cover some business areas that are now part of Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  Home Office( 1) , 2006-07 
			   km 
			 Domestic air travel (2)— 
			 Short-haul air travel 7,412,208 
			 Long-haul air travel 7,777,611 
			 Totals 15,189,819 
			 (1) Includes core Home Office, UK Borders Agency, Identity and Passport Service, parts of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), excluding prison service since transferred to the Ministry of Justice, as well as data from the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR).  (2) Not separately recorded.

Departmental Buildings

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the location is of each office occupied by  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies which has been (i) newly occupied and (ii) refurbished in the last 24 months; and what the floor area in square metres is of each.

Phil Woolas: The Department has not occupied any offices it has newly refurbished at a cost of over £1 million in the last 24 months. Records are not kept centrally of refurbishments below £1 million in value or of refurbishments carried out by landlords prior to the properties being leased.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the five most serious disciplinary breaches in her Department were in the last 12 months; and what steps were taken in response to each breach.

Phil Woolas: We cannot identify the five most serious disciplinary breaches as disciplinary offences are not ranked in terms of seriousness. Dismissal is the highest penalty awarded for a discipline breach.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department and its agencies were  (a) dismissed and  (b) disciplined for their conduct in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The following table sets out the information available on the number of staff  (a) dismissed and  (b) disciplined for their conduct within Home Office HQ, the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau.
	
		
			  Breakdown of disciplinary action across the Home Office 
			  Year( 1)  Dismissed  Disciplined short of dismissal 
			 2005-06 62 132 
			 2006-07 67 150 
			 2007-08 71 193 
			 2008-09(2) 16 55 
			 Total 216 530 
			 ( 1)  Information prior to 2005-06 is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. ( 2)  2008-09 figures include information up to 30 September 2008 for Home Office HQ, IPS and CRB and information to 30 June 2008 for UKBA. UKBA figures for 1 July-30 September 2008 are currently unavailable due to structural changes being made to the computer system used to record this information. 
		
	
	The Department's disciplinary procedures have a number of stages, some informal and some formal. Information on the procedures is available to staff through the Department's intranet sites, to which all staff have access.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1432W, on departmental home working, if she will make it her policy to collate and maintain central records of home working by her Department's staff.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has no plans to collate and maintain central records of the home working arrangements of its staff.
	Home working covers a variety of arrangements and can be undertaken on a formal or informal basis. Any decision to allow a member of staff to work from home is made locally by business units. For this reason records are kept centrally only where the arrangement necessitates a change to the employee's contract of employment.

Departmental Information

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what types of data have been sold by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: Core information produced by the Home Office can be re-used free of charge under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence which is administered by the Office of Public Sector Information in accordance with the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations.

Departmental Official Residences

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what permanent residential accommodation is provided for use by civil servants in her Department; how many residential dwellings are provided; where they are located; and for what grade of civil servant they are provided.

Phil Woolas: None. There is no policy to provide permanent residential accommodation for use by the Home Office civil servants.

Departmental Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in her Department in the last 12 months; and at what total cost.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the information requested.
	In Home Office Headquarters and the UK Border Agency, special bonuses are awarded for exceptional outstanding achievements by staff, including Senior Civil Servants, in particularly demanding tasks or situations at any time of the year. Annual, appraisal-related bonuses are made to individuals at Grade 6 and below making exceptional contribution throughout the year. Senior Civil Servants can be awarded performance bonuses as set out in the Senior Salaries Review Body report number 62.
	Staff in the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) receive end of year corporate bonuses, and change agent bonuses. Staff in the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) do not receive end of year bonuses. Staff however, do receive special bonus payments.
	
		
			  Table 1: Non-pensionable bonuses awarded (2007-08): Home Office end of year performance and special bonus 
			  Type of bonus  Year paid  Amount paid (£)  Number of payments made 
			 End of year bonus 2007-08 4,482,371 5,657 
			 Special bonus 2007-08 2,564,759 3,702 
			  IPS End of year performance bonus and special bonus
			 Type of bonus
			 End of year bonus 2007-08 1,253,045 3,674 
			 Special bonus 2007-08 94,523 862 
			  CRB Special Bonus
			 Type of bonus
			 Special bonus 2007-08 21,360 13

Departmental Procurement

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the names and addresses of each organisation that supplied goods and services to her Department in 2007-08, based on the purchase order data held in the Department's financial database.

Phil Woolas: I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library. The list will incorporate organisations that supply works. A number of organisations supply works in addition to goods and services. To manually exclude works supply only organisations from the purchase order data would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies spent on each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in each of the last 36 months.

Phil Woolas: The following table lists Home Office spend on external public relations agencies accessed through the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework over the last three years:
	
		
			   Agency  Cost (£) 
			  2005-06 Band & Brown Communications 100,330.00 
			  Blue Rubicon Ltd. 40,000.00 
			  Fishburn Hedges 253,100.48 
			  Good Relations Ltd. 177,472.61 
			  Grayling UK Ltd. 94,036.02 
			  Harrison Cowley 340,971.07 
			  The Forster Company 473,514.93 
			  The Red Consultancy Ltd. 273,263.06 
			  Total 1,752,688.17 
			
			  2006-07 Band & Brown Communications 29,186.20 
			  Blue Rubicon Ltd. 144,606.93 
			  Cutler Vick Communications 26,514.50 
			  Harrison Cowley 59,303.25 
			  The Forster Company 338,309.70 
			  The Red Consultancy Ltd. 258,490.61 
			  Total 856,411.19 
			
			  2007-08 The Forster Company 290,583.74 
			  Total 290,583.74

Departmental Public Relations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many staff in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have been seconded to public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many staff from public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies were seconded to  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not collated or held centrally by the Home Office or its agencies, and, where available, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of domestic violence were recorded in each local authority area in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07, broken down by (i) sex and (ii) ethnicity of alleged offender.

Alan Campbell: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) routinely provides information on the number of incidents of domestic violence in England and Wales but it is not possible to break the statistics down by local authority area.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overstayers are held in Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre; and for how long each has been detained.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 October 2008
	 This statistical information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EDF Energy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have with EDF; and how much (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies paid to EDF in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the purpose of the payment.

Phil Woolas: The  (a) Home Department and, of  (b) its agencies, the Identity and Passport Service have contracts with EDF Energy using the OGC Buying Solutions managed services framework for electricity supply.
	The available information held by the (i) Home Department and (ii) the Identity and Passport Service on spend on electricity for each year since 2005-2006 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Home Office HQ  Identity and Passport Service 
			 2005-06 2.79 0.32 
			 2006-07 4.42 0.60 
			 2007-08 4.68 0.71 
		
	
	Earlier data are not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. The data include payments to London Electricity who have now been taken over by EDF. The figures exclude expenditure by the National Offender Management Service which became part of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007.

Entry Clearances

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which countries nationals are required to secure a visitor visa to visit the UK.

Phil Woolas: At present, nationals of over 100 countries or territorial entities are visa nationals and require entry clearance (a visa) to enter the UK in any circumstances, including for a visit of up to six months. The countries are set out in the following list, Appendix 1 to the immigration rules.
	 Appendix 1: Visa requirements for the United Kingdom
	1. Subject to paragraph 2 the following persons need a visa for the United Kingdom:
	 (a) Nationals or citizens of the following countries or territorial entities:
	Afghanistan
	Albania
	Algeria
	Angola
	Armenia
	Azerbaijan
	Bahrain
	Bangladesh
	Belarus
	Benin
	Bhutan
	Bosnia Herzegovina
	Burkina Faso
	Burma
	Burundi
	Cambodia
	Cameroon
	Cape Verde
	Central African Republic
	Chad
	People's Republic of China (except those referred to in sub-paragraphs 2(d) and (e) of this Appendix)
	Colombia
	Comoros
	Congo
	Cuba
	Democratic Republic of the Congo
	Djibouti
	Dominican Republic
	Ecuador
	Egypt
	Equatorial Guinea
	Eritrea
	Ethiopia
	Fiji
	Gabon
	Gambia
	Georgia
	Ghana
	Guinea
	Guinea Bissau
	Guyana
	Haiti
	India
	Indonesia
	Iran
	Iraq
	Ivory Coast
	Jamaica
	Jordan
	Kazakhstan
	Kenya
	Korea (North)
	Kuwait
	Kyrgyzstan
	Laos
	Lebanon
	Liberia
	Libya
	Macedonia
	Madagascar
	Malawi
	Mali
	Mauritania
	Moldova
	Mongolia
	Morocco
	Mozambique
	Nepal
	Niger
	Nigeria
	Oman
	Pakistan
	Peru
	Philippines
	Qatar
	Russia
	Rwanda
	Sao Tome e Principe
	Saudi Arabia
	Senegal
	Sierra Leone
	Somalia
	Sri Lanka
	Sudan
	Surinam
	Syria
	Taiwan
	Tajikistan
	Tanzania
	Thailand
	Togo
	Tunisia
	Turkey
	Turkmenistan
	Uganda
	Ukraine
	United Arab Emirates
	Uzbekistan
	Vietnam
	Yemen
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe
	The territories formerly comprising the socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
	 (b) Persons who hold passports or travel documents issued by the former Soviet Union or by the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
	 (c) Stateless persons.
	 (d) Persons who hold non-national documents.
	2. The following persons do not need a visa for the United Kingdom:
	 (a) those who qualify for admission to the United Kingdom as returning residents in accordance with paragraph 18;
	 (b) those who seek leave to enter the United Kingdom within the period of their earlier leave and for the same purpose as that for which that leave was granted, unless it
	(i) was for a period of six months or less; or
	(ii) was extended by statutory instrument or by section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (inserted by section 3 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999);
	 (c) Deleted.
	 (d) those nationals or citizens of the People's Republic of China holding passports issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or
	 (e) those nationals or citizens of the People's Republic of China holding passports issued by Macao Special Administrative Region.
	 (f) those who arrive in the United Kingdom with leave to enter which is in force but which was given before arrival so long as those in question arrive within the period of their earlier leave and for the same purpose as that for which leave was granted, unless that leave
	(i) was for a period of six months or less, or
	(ii) was extended by statutory instrument or by section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (inserted by section 3 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999).

Entry Clearances: Biometrics

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many biometric visas have been issued to children under the age of 16 years, broken down by age.

Jacqui Smith: Up to 30 September 2008, a total of 178,230 biometric visas have been issued to children under the age of 16. A breakdown of this figure by age is not readily available from our records and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following table shows the total number of visa applications received from children under 16 who have provided their biometric data, broken down by age group, which I hope is helpful.
	
		
			  Visa applications from children under the age of 16 where biometric data provided: 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2008 
			  Age  Applications 
			 0-5 19,142 
			 6-11 108,386 
			 12-15 112,474 
			 Total under 16 240,002 
			  Notes: 1. Children under the age of five are not required to provide their biometric data. The figure for the 0 to five-year-old group therefore relates to five-year-olds only. 2. These figure are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.

Entry Clearances: Biometrics

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 16 years have been issued with biometric visas after supplying their fingerprints.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 October 2008
	 The rollout of the biometric visas programme began on 1 January 2006 and was completed at the end of 2007. By 30 September 2008, a total of 178,230 children under the age of 16 years had been issued with visas after supplying their fingerprints.
	 Note:
	This data is unpublished and should be treated as provisional
	 Source:
	Central Reference System

Foreign Workers: Domestic Service

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 23-24WS, on consultation on visitors (Government report), if she will take steps to ensure that protections which apply to overseas domestic workers in private households are extended to domestic workers in diplomatic households.

Phil Woolas: With the introduction of the points based system, all diplomatic missions wishing to employ domestic workers in their diplomatic households will need to seek a place on the UK Border Agency sponsor register. By signing up to the sponsor register, Missions will be agreeing to a number of criteria governing their employment of domestic workers. Private servants that work for foreign diplomats in the UK are protected from potential exploitation by UK law. We expect foreign diplomats to obey our laws and regulations and take seriously any alleged violation by those entitled to immunity. We would take appropriate action if any allegations of exploitation were to be brought to our attention.

Genetics: Databases

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1866W, on genetics: databases, what proportion of detected crimes in 2007-08 in which DNA evidence was available or played a part were crimes in which the offender had a prior conviction recorded on the Police National Computer.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of crimes detected in 2007-08 in which DNA was available, or played a part, and in which the offender had a prior conviction recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC), is not available from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) or from police force data collected by the Home Office on forensic activity and related detections. The NDNAD holds DNA profiles taken from persons arrested for a recordable offence but does not hold data on their criminal histories; this information is held on the PNC.

Homicide

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Harwich of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2670W, on homicide, when she plans to publish an honour-based violence action plan.

Alan Campbell: The Association of Chief Police Officers will launch their honour based violence strategy for police forces shortly. A key part of the strategy will be the development of a two-year action plan.
	In addition, the Government plan to publish their annual National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan. The plan will set out key actions and initiatives that will be taken forward to address domestic violence in the coming years. This will also include specific workstreams to address honour based violence.

Human Trafficking

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's deadline to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking by the end of 2008.

Phil Woolas: Good progress has been made. We are on track to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking ("the Convention") by the end of the year. We have made the necessary legislative changes and a Command Paper and supporting documents were laid before Parliament on 7 October setting out the Government's plan.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether biometric information collected from foreign nationals in receipt of identity cards will be destroyed when the individual permanently leaves the UK;
	(2)  under what circumstances biometric information collected from foreign nationals applying for identity cards can be removed from Government records.

Jacqui Smith: Biometric data collected by the Secretary of State will be retained as long as retention of that data is necessary for the specified functions, for example functions under the Immigration Acts or for the prevention or detection of an offence. This applies even if the individual leaves the UK permanently, as it is difficult to anticipate whether a person may return to the UK on another occasion. It is essential to retain this information, for example, to identify those who may seek to abuse immigration control by seeking to return to the UK in a false identity and identify those who are entitled to be here.
	The biometric data collected will be destroyed if it is no longer of use for those specified purposes. It will also be destroyed if the person proves that they are a British citizen or a Commonwealth citizen with a right of abode.
	The exception to this is where the information is retained in accordance with, and for the purposes of, another enactment (that is, where Parliament has already approved retention of information for a particular purpose).

Identity Cards: Foreigners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the age of six years has been stipulated as the age at which foreign national children must supply fingerprints when obtaining an identity card.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 October 2008
	 The requirement for fingerprints to be taken from the age of six comes from EU Regulation 380/2008. The EU Commission agreed to set the minimum age at six years as this is the age at which fingerprints stabilise.

Illegal Immigrants

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 958W, which police forces have not established an immigration crime partnership.

Phil Woolas: Immigration crime partnerships are yet to be established with the following police forces/services:
	Bedfordshire Police;
	City of London Police;
	Cumbria Constabulary;
	Hertfordshire Constabulary;
	Merseyside Police.
	There are ongoing negotiations to establish ICP teams in all ACPO regions across the UK which will be made up of officers from forces within that region.
	In Scotland Policing is a devolved matter. There is an agreement between UKBA Scotland and the Association of Chief Police Officers of Scotland to set up an ICP team for Scotland and arrangements are in place.
	In Northern Ireland the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has not established an immigration crime partnership but there is an agreement that PSNI will tackle immigration crime and immigration related crime.
	The agency sits on the Organised Crime Taskforce steering group.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal migrant workers were the subject of enforcement action  (a) in each year since 1997 and  (b) in each quarter of the last three years; and how many have been deported or otherwise removed from the UK.

Phil Woolas: The United Kingdom Border Agency's records details of enforcement operations and arrests going back as far as 2005. To link that data to subsequent enforcement action and successful removals could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	Published information on removals is provided in the quarterly asylum statistics. The most recent figures can be accessed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/asylumq407.pdf.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers have been made the subject of  (a) a civil penalty and  (b) a criminal prosecution since the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 came into force; how many of those prosecuted have been convicted; and how many of the employees illegally employed in such cases have been removed from the UK, broken down by sector of the employers concerned.

Phil Woolas: There have been 354 notices of liability issued to employers under the civil penalty regime since its introduction on 29 February 2008 until 12 July 2008.
	Prosecution proceedings are live in a further 27 cases. And in four cases, these proceedings have been completed and have resulted in a fine for the employer. The data provided are management information. They may be subject to change and do not represent published national statistics.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency does not hold data in the format requested on those encountered working illegally and that have been removed from the UK. Published information on removals is provided in the quarterly asylum statistics. The most recent figures can be accessed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/asylumq407.pdf.
	A copy is available in the House Library.

Immigration Controls

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Hitchen and Harpenden on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1247W, when and how she plans to consult on changes to the immigration rules on length of residence rights of access to a child.

Phil Woolas: The green paper 'The Path to Citizenship' outlined our proposals to create a new clear framework for the journey to citizenship and clarify the routes to British Citizenship/permanent residence.
	These proposals will affect all those who would otherwise have sought settlement under the Long Residence Rules or Rules on those seeking to exercise rights of access to a child.
	We published the Government's response to the consultation on 14 July. We will not therefore consult further on these two areas but will continue to determine how these two categories will fit within the revised architecture.

Immigration Controls: Aviation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that those travelling in  (a) private helicopters and  (b) very light jets or other private light aircraft do not evade immigration controls.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency, working closely with the police, pursues an intelligence-led and risk-based approach to immigration control for flights in the general aviation sector.
	Operators or pilots of flights to the UK from abroad submit General Aviation Reports (GARs) which include passenger and crew data. This information is checked against watch lists to inform action by the police and local border offices. This includes meeting arrivals and also unannounced visits to provide information on activities at particular locations.
	We will update the GAR system with a new reporting and checking system fully integrated into e-borders. In line with recommendations from the Cabinet Office Review, "Security in a Global Hub", we are examining other supplementary protective measures.

Immigration: Biometrics

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to examine and check the  (a) fingerprints and  (b) irises of (i) persons wishing to enter the UK at (A) an overseas post and (B) the UK border and (ii) persons who have entered the UK.

Phil Woolas: The global rollout of the biometric visas programme was completed at the end of 2007. All visa applicants are now required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photographs) when making an application.
	We have successfully concluded trials involving the use of biometrics to verify the identity of holders of UK biometric visas seeking entry to the UK. Plans are being progressed to introduce a scheme in 2009, which will enable the biometric verification of all arriving passengers who have recorded their biometrics with the UK Border Agency. Proposals are also being developed to meet the longer term objective of ensuring that by the end of 2011, all non-EEA nationals have a biometrically enabled, secure, unique identity before being admitted.
	Arrangements are currently in place at 10 terminals across four UK airports to examine and check the iris patterns of people wishing to enter the UK.
	There are currently no arrangements in place to examine or check the irises of people at overseas posts, or the irises of those who have already entered the UK.
	From the 25 November 2008, foreign nationals applying for leave to remain in certain student categories or as spouses, civil partners or unmarried couples will be required to provide biometric features, including a facial image and 10 fingerprints. These will be checked against existing databases for matches. Successful applicants will be issued with an identity card for foreign nationals. This follows on from a pilot which started on the 28 April 2008.

Immigration: Fraud

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forged documents were confiscated at the UK's borders by  (a) the UK Border Agency and  (b) UK Visas in 2007-08.

Jacqui Smith: Due to the vigilance of UK Border Agency staff, between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008 a total of 3,338 fraudulent passports (or other identity documents used in lieu of passports) were detected by UK Border Agency officers at ports of entry. Of this total 1,696 documents were forged, the remainder being counterfeits, fraudulently obtained or being used by an individual seeking to impersonate the rightful holder.

Migration Impact Forum

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have submitted one or more briefing notes to the Migration Impact Forum since it was established.

Jacqui Smith: No individual police forces have submitted briefing notes to the Migration Impacts Forum. The forum has received a presentation on the impact of migration from a representative of the Association of Chief Police Officers that was informed by discussions with a number of police forces. A representative of ACPO sits on the forum.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by the UK Border Agency dedicated specialist team to deal with foreign prisoners not considered for deportation in each month since March 2006; and what the operating costs of this team were in each such month.

Jacqui Smith: The specialist team dedicated to considering for deportation the 1,013 foreign criminals who were released without consideration for deportation prior to April 2006 form part of the wider Criminal Casework Directorate, which is in turn part of the UK Border Agency. Historical staffing numbers and operational costs are held for the Criminal Casework Directorate, but are not broken down to account for its constituent teams, due to the sharing of administrative and other supportive functions.

Security Guards: Licensing

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her estimate is of the number of security companies in the UK which are potentially subject to the regulation of the Security Industry Authority.

Alan Campbell: Exact figures for the number of security companies in the UK are not available. However, the Security Industry Authority estimates that there are in the region of 2,500.
	Security companies are not currently required to be regulated by the Security Industry Authority.

Security Guards: Licensing

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average number of employees was of companies with Security Industry Authority approved contractor status in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) the latest date for which data are available;
	(2)  how many companies had approved contractor status removed by the Security Industry Authority in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008 to date;
	(3)  how many Security Industry Authority approved contractors there were on  (a) 31 December 2006,  (b) 31 December 2007 and  (c) the latest date for which data are available.

Alan Campbell: The following data have been supplied by the Security Industry Authority.
	 227741
	Based on information provided by companies in the course of annual re-registration with the SIA, the total number of staff working for companies with Security Industry Authority approved contractor status in the years in question were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 31 December 2006 84,455 
			 31 December 2007 101,656 
			 15 October 2008 116,086 
		
	
	The average number of employees is not readily available.
	 22742
	The number of companies which had approved contractor status withdrawn was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 7 
			 2008 6 
		
	
	 22743
	The number of companies on the SIA Register of Approved Contractors was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 31 December 2006 317 
			 31 December 2007 420 
			 15 October 2008 552

Staffordshire Police: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will ask the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police to provide a substantive reply to the hon. Member for Walsall, North to his letter of 4 September concerning a constituent (reference: NH/JF); and if she will inquire into the reasons for the time taken to reply.

Vernon Coaker: Neither the Home Office nor its Ministers are able to comment on or intervene in individual matters. The Chief Officer is responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the force, not the Home Secretary. Matters relating to the investigation of a crime and the deployment of resources are the responsibility of the local Chief Officer. It is however understood that the hon. Member received a reply from the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police on 20 October.

Stress

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements her Department has in place to assist officials to overcome the effects of stress experienced in the workplace.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office is committed is committed to the well-being of its employees. It has a number of procedures in place to reduce stress at work. This provision includes an industry-standard Employee Assistance Programme which gives staff access to a professional advice and counselling service on any work-related or personal issues. We provide, on demand, critical incident de-briefing interventions for operational staff who have been involved in difficult or dangerous operational situations which may have caused either physical or emotional distress.

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) her Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office spend on taxis for financial years 2002-03 to 2006-07 is set out in the following table. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management and Ministerial Codes.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 0.36 
			 2003-04 0.43 
			 2004-05 0.67 
			 2005-06 0.80 
			 2006-07 0.96 
		
	
	These figures include expenditure by the core Home Office and the UK Border Agency. The Identity and Passport Service figures are included from 2004-05 as 2002-03 and 2003-04 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures for Criminal Records Bureau are excluded as these can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04, the figures also include expenditure by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) which transferred to Ministry of Justice in 2007. Their costs can be identified and deducted only at disproportionate cost.
	The difference in costs over the period reflects the changing nature of the Home Office's business, in particular the growth of international terrorism and migration. Collaboration and information exchange both domestically and internationally on counter-terrorism activities and border control have become increasingly critical to the effective discharge of the Department's responsibilities for asylum, immigration and national security. This has involved higher levels of overseas and UK travel.

UK Border Agency: Dismissal

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials were dismissed from the UK Border Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Please find in the following table, the number of UK Border Agency staff dismissed over the last three financial years.
	
		
			   Dismissals 
			 2005-06 106 
			 2006-07 102 
			 2007-08 101

UK Border Agency: Finance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the UK Border Agency's budget for 2008-09 is, broken down by  (a) staff,  (b) equipment,  (c) buildings and  (d) other categories for which information is held centrally.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the UK Borders Agency's budget broken down by spending category and includes  (a) staff,  (b) equipment and  (c) buildings. In addition, the capital budget is provided and includes  (b) equipment and  (c) buildings:
	
		
			  UK Border Agency 
			  Spending type  2008-09 Budget  (£000) 
			 Pay and allowances  (a) 659,202 
			 Travel subsistence 26,483 
			 Training 9,435 
			 Consultancies 20,209 
			 Fees 39,094 
			 Financial and office services 28,281 
			 Equipment and vehicle maintenance  (b) 4,995 
			 Telecoms and IT services 136,848 
			 Contracted out services 81,453 
			 Other supplies and services 60,416 
			 Accommodation and utilities  (c) 106,916 
			 Other current expenditure 783,042 
			 Grants 54,790 
			 Depreciation/cost of capital 66,911 
			  Resource spend 2,078,076 
			   
			 IT Projects 145,900 
			 Detention centres  (c) 76,400 
			 Estates  (c) 4,000 
			 plant, equipment, vehicles, etc  (b) 11,700 
			  Capital spend 238,000

UK Border Agency: Finance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on  (a) administrative and  (b) operational matters in each of the last three years; and what its budget is on the same basis for 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the UK Borders Agency's spend on  (a) administrative and  (b) operational matters (programme spend) in each of the last three years along with the budget for 2008-09 on the same basis. 2008-09 includes the costs UK Visas operation that is transferring from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
	
		
			  UK Border Agency 
			  £ 
			   Actual  
			  S pending type  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 budget 
			  (a) Administrative 156,100 134,621 108,316 108,730 
			  (b) Operational (programme) 1,572,721 1,553,419 1,607,779 1,969,346 
			 Total 1,728,820 1,688,041 1,716,095 2,078,076

Work Permits: Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people born outside the UK were  (a) given work permits for and  (b) employed in the care-related sector in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: This information is not centrally recorded in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Written Questions: Government Responses

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer question  (a) (i) 203248, on counterfeit routers and (ii) 203249, on pilot schemes, tabled on 28 April 2008 and  (b) 194334, on Ministerial taskforces and action groups, tabled on 11 March 2008.

Phil Woolas: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for Departments to confirm whether they hold information about malicious attacks against their IT systems. I refer the hon. Gentleman to Cabinet Office guidance.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Aimhigher Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the projected cost of Aimhigher is for 2008-09.

David Lammy: Aimhigher is an important part of our policies to widen participation in higher education. Evidence from Excellence Challenge (a predecessor initiative which provided activities similar to those of Aimhigher) showed that, after just 18 months of the programme, it was having a significant effect on the aspirations of young people, and their attainment levels. The budget for Aimhigher for 2008-09 is £85.5 million, including contributions from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Department of Health. £3 million is for the new Aimhigher Associates initiative, which links undergraduates with young people at school or college to help them through educational transitions and into university.
	Our policies are succeeding: the proportion of UK domiciled, young, full-time, first degree entrants to English higher education institutions who were from lower socio-economic groups rose from 27.9 per cent. in 2002/03 to 29.8 per cent. in 2006/07.

Higher Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made in preparation of a White Paper on higher education; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: We are currently hosting an ongoing debate on the future of higher education, with the aim of producing a framework document for the development of a world-class higher education system over the next 10 to 15 years.
	We have recently received nine contributions from individuals and organisations involved in higher education. These will be published shortly. We have also commissioned seven 'users' of higher education, employers from the private and public sectors, to provide reports on what they will need from higher education in the years to come to ensure that the UK remains internationally competitive. These reports are due to be completed by the end of November and will be published shortly afterwards.
	At the same time, an online debate is ongoing and all interested parties can participate. This is hosted by the Joint Information Systems Committee website at:
	http://hedebate.jiscinvolve.org/
	We intend to publish the framework document during 2009.

Intellectual Property

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made by the UK Intellectual Property Office in implementing a plan on intellectual property enforcement.

David Lammy: Since the Patent Office (now the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO)) launched its IP Crime Strategy in 2004, it has become a key player in co-ordinating efforts to deal with intellectual property enforcement in the UK and internationally. The UK-IPO is taking forward its plans for IP enforcement as set out in Commitment 16 of "Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy" (published in February 2008). It is funding an enforcement pilot related to the 'Fake Free London' campaign. It is developing plans for a National Centre of Excellence on IP Crime. It is holding a consultation on penalties for copyright infringement (published 11 August, closes 31 October). The UK-IPO is also updating its IP Crime Strategy as the enforcement landscape has changed considerably in the past four years.

Skilled Workers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will initiate a national audit of skills.

Si�n Simon: The provision of up to date and high quality information on skills needs is crucial both to Government across the UK, and to employers. That is why we have asked the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to produce an annual employment and skills assessment. The UK Commission will also continue the series of skill projections, that was established by government some years ago. In addition each of the 25 Sector Skills Councils has completed a Sector Skills Agreement, which map out exactly what skills employers need their work force to have and how these skills will be supplied.

Small Businesses: Research

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps the Government has taken to assist small businesses in undertaking research.

David Lammy: holding answer 20 October 2008
	 The Government have taken a number of steps to assist small businesses undertaking research:
	From 1 August 2008 the rate of tax relief under the SME R and D tax credits has increased from 150 per cent. to 175 per cent. The employment threshold has also risen from 249 to 449 employees. It is estimated that SMEs will benefit from an additional 80 million as a result;
	SBRI is being reformed to deliver technologies to meet the future needs and requirements of Government and other public bodies ahead of commercial procurement, and in doing so, to drive an increase in demand for R and D services. In early-stage, high-technology businesses, supporting them through a critical stage in their development. SBRI is unique in providing 100 per cent. funding of development costs at the crucial stage of prototyping and demonstration, and it is this which makes it potentially valuable for early-stage technology businesses;
	Between January and June 2008, 70 small businesses benefited from 5 million of research grants through DIUS's Grant for Research and Development scheme; and,
	DIUS is working with the Technology Strategy Board and regional development agencies to: double the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships over the next three years; to introduce a pilot innovation voucher scheme to help 500 smaller businesses collaborate with knowledge institutions; and, to help UK businesses participate in the Eurostars scheme for research performing SMEs.

TRANSPORT

Driving Instructors

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for legislation to prevent convicted sex offenders from becoming driving instructors.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Current legislation includes a requirement for an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) to be a fit and proper person. Since March 2007, those seeking to qualify as ADIs have been required to provide enhanced level criminal record checks to ensure that those allowed on to the ADI Register meet this condition.
	The Driving Standards Agency and Department for Transport continue to look for an early legislative opportunity to introduce powers to suspend Approved Driving Instructors.

Rail Network

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the extent of the rail network infrastructure in 2038.

Geoff Hoon: No direct estimate has been made of the extent of the rail network infrastructure in 2038. The Government's long term vision for the rail network is set out in the 2007 White Paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway.

Railway Stations

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department plans to spend on  (a) new railway stations in England and  (b) a new railway station in Bromsgrove over the next three years.

Paul Clark: The planning and investment in new stations is largely a matter for Network Rail. However, the Government have invested in existing stations including the rebuilding of Birmingham New Street and Reading Stations and the provision of 150 million through the National Stations Improvement Programme.
	The proposed new station at Bromsgrove is subject to consideration by the region on funding priorities.

England and Scotland Rail Links

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for high speed rail links between England and Scotland.

Paul Clark: The Government are looking at the need for additional transport capacity as part of the new approach to planning set out in the October 2007 document Towards a Sustainable Transport System. While Network Rail are reviewing the case for new lines as one option, increased capacity and enhancements to the existing network are equally important as shown by the 8.8 billion investment on upgrading the West Coast Main Line, leading to reduced travel times.

England and Scotland Rail Links

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for high speed rail links between England and Scotland.

Paul Clark: The Government are looking at the need for additional transport capacity as part of the new approach to planning set out in the October 2007 document 'Towards a Sustainable Transport System'. While Network Rail are reviewing the case for new lines as one option, increased capacity and enhancements to the existing network are equally important as shown by the 8.8 billion investment on upgrading the West Coast Main Line, leading to reduced travel times.

Manchester Airport

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the development of Manchester airport as a hub; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Northern Way has begun work to identify the benefits to the regional economy from investment in the rail network around Manchester. This will feed into the study being conducted by Network Rail into the options for investment, due to be completed in summer 2009.

Seafarers' Pay

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has held with trades unions and HM Treasury on the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has had informal discussion with Nautilus UK and HM Revenue and Customs, following the Special Commissioner's decision in the 'Pride of South America' case. Although there have not been any discussions with HM Treasury, I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, is aware of the concerns raised by this decision and that HM Revenue and Customs will work closely with stakeholders on the interpretation of the Commissioner's decision to ensure that it is implemented in a fair and practical manner.

Halifax and London Rail Link

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in providing a direct rail link between Halifax and London.

Paul Clark: The independent Office of Rail Regulation is considering access applications from a number of train operators for new services on the heavily-trafficked East Coast Main Line from December 2009, including possible services through Halifax.

Railways: Overcrowding

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to reduce overcrowding on the rail network; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Rail White Paper, which we published in July 2007, described the forecast growth in rail usage and sets out the enhancements in capacity, reliability and safety the Government seek. At the heart of our plans is the 10 billion that we have committed to spend on enhancing rail capacity between 2009 and 2014.

Railways: Overcrowding

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce overcrowding on the rail network; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Rail White Paper, which we published in July 2007, described the forecast growth in rail usage and sets out the enhancements in capacity, reliability and safety the Government seek. At the heart of our plans is the 10 billion that we have committed to spend on enhancing rail capacity between 2009 and 2014.

A12

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to start on a junction between the A12 and the Northern Approach Road at Colchester.

Paul Clark: Delivery of the junction is tied to planning consent and is a matter for developers to take forward in line with plans for delivery of proposed housing, employment and leisure facilities in north Colchester.
	Both English Partnerships and the Highways Agency are working in partnership to ensure an early start can be made, once developer funding is made available. Essex county council, along with other authorities have been allocated indicative funding for infrastructure provision through the Community Infrastructure Fund. Announcements on successful bids will be made next spring. Subject to the successful completion of the necessary statutory procedures, this could enable construction of the junction to be brought forward to the end of 2009 with completion by March 2011.

West Yorkshire: Transport Funding

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to fund transport links in West Yorkshire.

Paul Clark: West Yorkshire will benefit from a wide ranging programme of investment in local and regional transport, funded through local transport plans and the regional funding allocation process, as well as investment in the national road and rail network.

Mobility Scooters

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to revise the law on mobility scooters.

Paul Clark: The Department has no immediate plans to bring forward legislation on mobility scooters.

Motorcycle Driving Test

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the introduction of the new motorcycle driving test; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has designed a new practical motorcycling test to accommodate the improved test and new European requirements. The Agency has developed 38 multi-purpose test centres from which the new test could be delivered and has trained its examiner staff to conduct the new test.
	However, in response to concerns raised by the motorcycle training industry about the number of test venues available and the distance that some test candidates would have to travel, the introduction of the new motorcycling test has been deferred until the end of March 2009.
	In partnership with motorcycling stakeholder groups DSA is currently developing further proposals for delivery of the test and hopes shortly to be in a position to consult widely on them.

Bridges: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bridges have been strengthened in England and Wales since 2000.

Paul Clark: On motorways and trunk roads for which the Highways Agency are responsible, 210 bridges have been strengthened since 2000.
	The management of the local road network in England, including maintenance of its bridges, is the responsibility of local highway authorities.
	The Department for Transport provides funding to English local authorities, outside London, for highway maintenance, which they may decide to use for bridge strengthening, through their Local Transport Plan settlement capital allocations and through specific funding for maintenance for structures, including bridge strengthening, on the Primary Route Network (PRN). Funding in London is a matter for the mayor.
	The numbers of structures funded under the PRN programme from 2005-06 inclusive of forward allocation to 2010-11 are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 127 
			 2006-07 123 
			 2007-08 115 
		
	
	A three year allocation was provided for 2008-09 to 2010-11. The number of structures funded for this period is 355.
	Prior to 2005-06 the information is not available to this level of detail.
	The strengthening of bridges owned by other bodies, such as Network Rail, is a matter for the respective bridge owners. Bridges in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Assembly.

Bus Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new public buses have been introduced in the last five years.

Paul Clark: The numbers (to the nearest thousand) of buses and coaches(1) newly registered in the public service vehicle taxation class(2) in the last five years were as follows:
	(1) Figures for buses and coaches are not available separately.
	(2) The figures relate only to those buses and coaches taxed in the public service vehicle taxation class when first registered. Buses and coaches initially registered for private use and subsequently brought into public service are therefore excluded from the figures in the table, while vehicles taken into private use subsequent to registration will be included in the statistics.
	
		
			   Number  (thousand) 
			 2003 8,400 
			 2004 8,300 
			 2005 8,900 
			 2006 7,600 
			 2007 9,000

Bus Services: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the national concessionary bus fares scheme.

Paul Clark: This Government introduced the statutory minimum bus concession in 2001 and subsequently improved the original half-fare minimum to free local travel in 2006. The successful introduction of the England-wide concessionary travel in April this year was a major achievement, but it represented a further significant change for both local authorities and the bus industry. As such, our current focus is very much on ensuring the continued success of the new concession.
	We are currently considering possible improvements to the administration of concessionary travel and are likely to consult on some possible changes later in the year.
	In July this year it was announced that by 1 April 2011, the statutory bus concession in England will be extended to include service personnel and veterans under the age of 60, who were seriously injured in service and are resident in England. Aside from this there are no further plans at present to extend the statutory minimum to different times, other modes, community transport or additional groups of people.

Bus Services: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost to local authorities of the national concessionary bus fares scheme is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and what the estimated central government funding for the scheme is for each of those years.

Paul Clark: Most of the funding for concessionary travel is part of a block within the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), so it is not possible to disaggregate information for concessionary fares. The latest available figures show that local authorities spent, in total, 735.2 million on concessionary travel in 2006-07. We would expect a slightly higher figure for 2007-08 and a more significant increase for 2008-09 with the advent of all-England travel but it is too early to fully establish the impact of the new concession.
	The Government are paying a special grant directly to Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs) to meet the extra cost of the England-wide bus concession from 1 April 2008. Unlike RSG funding this is identifiable at 212 million in 2008-09, rising to 217m in 2009-10. The new funding is in addition to existing concessionary fares funding through RSG. The Government remain confident that funding for statutory concessionary fares is sufficient to meet the cost to TCAs.

Buses: Fuels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on developing alternative fuels for buses.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has not spent anything developing alternative fuels specifically for buses. The Government support the research and development of alternative fuel technologies for diesel engine vehicles which could be used for buses. More than 90 million has been committed in this area over the next five years.

Bypasses: Construction

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses have been built in south east Manchester since 2000.

Paul Clark: Final funding approval was granted to the A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley bypass scheme earlier this year on which advanced works have started.
	The South East Manchester Multi Modal Study (SEMMMS) relief road falls within the relevant area, but discussions are still continuing on this scheme.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies spent on (i) recruitment consultants and (ii) external recruitment advertising to recruit staff in each of the last five financial years; which recruitment consultants were employed for those purposes in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The figures in the following table have been sourced from the Central Department and its agencies and show expenditure on recruitment consultancies and external advertising combined. These figures could not be split due to reporting variances across the Department.
	
		
			   Expenditure () 
			 2003-04 4,021,132 
			 2004-05 4,220,768 
			 2005-06 8,272,596 
			 2006-07 4,791,412 
			 2007-08 5,610,731 
		
	
	The larger figure in 2005-06 represents a major campaign by the Highways Agency to recruit Traffic Officers.
	The table showing Recruitment Consultancies used has been placed in the Libraries of the House. This represents recruitment consultancies used throughout the past five financial years however, some agencies could provide these data only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of written Questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Geoff Hoon: In the current session the Department has received 880 named day parliamentary questions. Of these 532 (60.45 per cent.) were answered on the due date.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 888-89W, on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, what progress the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency has made with the review; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I can confirm that the review of the effectiveness of the new measures introduced following the 2006 consultation has been completed. The report is currently being finalised and will be available shortly.

Driving: Licenses

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers have lost their licences under the six-point novice driver rule since it was introduced; and how many of these have  (a) subsequently retaken their test and (i) passed and (ii) failed it and  (b) been prosecuted for driving without a licence.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 came into force in 1997. To September 2008, 160,756 driving licences have been revoked under the provisions of the Act; 87,250 drivers have subsequently passed a driving test to regain their full licence.
	Information is not held on the number of drivers who have failed a test following revocation. Statistics on driving offences, held by the Ministry of Justice, do not specify the individual circumstances of prosecutions for
	driving other than in accordance with a licence.

Driving: Licensing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the number of people driving on UK roads without  (a) insurance,  (b) a valid MOT certificate and  (c) a valid provisional or full driving licence.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the motor insurance database. The estimate is about 2.1 million licensed vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK total) are being driven by uninsured drivers. Measures introduced to tackle uninsured driving include police powers to seize vehicles used on the road uninsured, and improved police powers to access information contained in the insurance industry's database. The Road Safety Act 2006 introduced a new offence of being a registered keeper for which there is no valid motor insurance. Further regulations are required to bring the provisions into force and the detail of this scheme for continuous insurance enforcement will be subject to consultation later this year.
	The most recent results of the on the road compliance survey, published in 2006, showed that around 4.2 per cent. of vehicles in use on the road did not have a valid MoT. When applied to the whole vehicle fleet this would amount to around 1.2 million vehicles. The exercise was repeated this year but the results are not yet available. To improve compliance with these requirements the police have access to the computerised record of MoT test results so that officers can identify vehicles without a valid MoT, when using for example ANPR cameras, and then take action. The 'newstyle' MoT certificates come with a peel off and display sticker setting out the MoT expiry date as an aid to motorists.
	The most recent estimate of the number of drivers using a vehicle on the road without a valid driving licence is 1.6 per cent. Full details are available in the report on the National Driver and Vehicle Compliance Check 2006. The report was published on 8 September 2006, and placed in the House of Commons Library. It is also available at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/roadspolicingoperationv79.
	Provision to the Police of 24 hour access to accurate and up to date driver licensing information (including a photograph where appropriate) at the roadside has assisted detection and enforcement. There are also good IT links between the DVLA and the courts to assist in effective prosecution of offenders.

Driving: Licensing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people passed advanced driving tests in each region of England and Wales in  (a) each of the last 10 years and  (b) 2008 to date.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Advanced driving assessments are offered on a voluntary basis by some private organisations.
	The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) does not collect statistics on how many drivers have undertaken or passed such assessments.

Lorries: Safety Measures

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and  (b) the European Commission in the last 12 months on rules to require retro-reflective tape to be placed on the side of heavy goods vehicles around the outer edge to aid night time visibility.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Following European and wider negotiations undertaken some time ago, we agreed to introduce new retro-reflective markings requirements for new trucks exceeding 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) and new trailers exceeding 3.5 tonnes GVW by 10 October 2009. Our research shows that marking these vehicle types is the most cost effective approach. Implementation will be via our national lighting regulations and no further discussions with UN-ECE and European counterparts are planned.

Official Cars: Carbon Emissions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what opportunities are provided to Ministers to use UK-built cars that comply with carbon dioxide emission guidelines.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 26 June 2008,  Official Report, column 427W.
	The Government remain committed to reducing the average emissions of the Government fleet to 130g/km by 2010. The range of vehicles commercially available which produce low carbon emissions is increasing and a number of new or improved models are expected to be released over the next year. GCDA is therefore reviewing the low carbon vehicles which may be suitable for use by Ministers as remaining older cars are replaced.

Railways: Contracts

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which train operators have made late premia payments in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: holding answer 14 October 2008
	 In the last 12 months, the following train operators have made payments which were not received in the Department for Transport's bank on the correct day:
	National Express (Gatwick Express Franchise)three instances of late receipt of payments (13 working days, one working day and 10 working days late). This franchise ended in June 2008.
	Midland Mainlineone instance of late receipt (one working day late).
	Arriva Trains Walesone instance of late receipt (one working day late).
	First Capital Connectone instance of late receipt (four working days late).
	For those payments where funds were received one working day late it is possible that this was due to deadlines at the Office of the Paymaster General that may have meant the funds were not shown in the Department's account on the same day as receipt.
	The late receipt of payment made by First Capital Connect was the result of an error on the bank sort code that meant that the initial payment made on the correct date was rejected. This payment was immediately resubmitted.

Road Traffic: Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost to the economy is of projected road congestion increase of  (a) eight per cent. by 2010,  (b) 22 per cent. by 2015 and  (c) 28 per cent. by 2025.

Paul Clark: The congestion costs associated with these particular projections have not been estimated.
	However, previous work using the Department's National Transport Model for the Eddington Study (2006) did provide relevant analysis. The study estimates that for a 30 per cent. increase in congestion between 2003-25 in England, the time lost to all road users would be worth 24 billion at 2002 prices.
	The full study is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/eddingtonstudy/

Roads: Accidents

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the baseline average is for the number killed or seriously injured by traffic collisions from 1994 to 1998 against which his Department assesses its progress on reducing the number killed or seriously injured on the roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 1994-98 baseline average for the number of killed or seriously injured casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain is 47,656.
	These data are available in table 1b of article 1 in 'Road Casualties Great Britain' at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/162259/162469/221412/221549/227755/rcgb2007.pdf.
	Copies of this publication have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Police

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many police officers were engaged in patrolling roads to enforce traffic rules in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The available data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Police officers FTE( 1)  whose main function is 'Traffic' (1998-99 to 2007-08)( 2)  by police force( 3) 
			   1998-99( 4)  1999-2000( 4, 5)  2000-01( 4, 5)  2001-02( 4, 5)  2002-03( 6)  2003-04( 6)  2004-05( 6)  2005-06( 6)  2006-07( 6)  2007-08( 6) 
			 Avon and Somerset 207 200 211 214 216 222 228 215 148 160 
			 Bedfordshire 79 73 69 69 75 80 80 81 68 65 
			 Cambridgeshire 96 93 86 78 85 99 101 99 96 90 
			 Cheshire 205 196 187 194 194 200 194 85 91 94 
			 City of London 24 22 24 25 24 24 28 24 23 26 
			 Cleveland 67 68 63 67 64 73 2 61 72 104 
			 Cumbria 117 119 111 108 107 110 108 111 114 99 
			 Derbyshire 147 139 136 140 107 121 116 119 110 109 
			 Devon and Cornwall 212 215 202 187 192 198 211 215 225 232 
			 Dorset 77 83 86 81 91 86 82 81 80 78 
			 Durham 117 116 113 113 111 119 108 105 100 107 
			 Dyfed-Powys 97 93 83 75 136 105 141 143 136 126 
			 Essex 259 245 249 254 241 242 243 243 231 219 
			 Gloucestershire 82 68 69 64 62 66 67 73 67 67 
			 Greater Manchester 434 433 423 421 406 392 359 342 352 338 
			 Gwent 88 90 89 87 93 95 96 102 95 57 
			 Hampshire 278 251 240 240 248 246 244 240 237 214 
			 Hertfordshire 158 155 168 149 150 151 149 149 145 152 
			 Humberside 149 155 145 136 123 119 225 181 100 104 
			 Kent(7) 119 103 104 104 104  122 116 109 122 
			 Lancashire 225 220 217 220 198 187 190 197 184 180 
			 Leicestershire(7) 86 87 95  92 95 85 77 72 74 
			 Lincolnshire 95 93 88 98 90 89 96 102 100 92 
			 Merseyside 200 185 130 126 125 119 115 138 150 152 
			 Metropolitan Police(7) 782 824 686  583 592 1,029 603 611 612 
			 Norfolk 107 109 113 114 120 121 107 112 110 118 
			 North Wales 236 134 146 152 115 114 76 81 98 90 
			 North Yorkshire 128 96 129 140 151 138 101 97 99 105 
			 Northamptonshire 87 52 52 61 70 71 65 63 63 60 
			 Northumbria 162 158 158 178 245 253 165 167 172 165 
			 Nottinghamshire 182 167 175 111 26 121 133 134 139 144 
			 South Wales 220 224 238 244 243 245 243 243 252 233 
			 South Yorkshire 197 196 206 208 180 127 134 141 143 144 
			 Staffordshire 208 188 35 34 50 49 58 28 35 34 
			 Suffolk 74 70 63 68 68 72 76 80 77 81 
			 Surrey 177 173 197 110 108 110 107 99 87 98 
			 Sussex 197 191 190 174 164 163 163 160 169 160 
			 Thames Valley 265 251 251 247 259 259 245 236 237 250 
			 Warwickshire 106 102 96 95 103 103 93 97 93 93 
			 West Mercia 238 278 322 325 292 115 117 116 129 128 
			 West Midlands 405 394 380 385 384 405 393 401 383 352 
			 West Yorkshire 331 323 326 336 320 314 317 343 324 283 
			 Wiltshire 90 93 91 88 91 96 93 13 89 91 
			 England and Wales 7,806 7,522 7,238 6,317 6,902 6,706 7,104 6,511 6,412 6,299 
			 (1 )This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2 )Data as at 31 March in each of the given years. (3 )Variations in the proportion of police officers deployed to traffic duties to some extent reflects the presence of motorways and key A roads in certain force areas. (4 )Data collected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) for the number of officers who are deployed to all traffic duties. It is not possible to segregate officers on speed enforcement duties from other officers deployed to traffic duties. The table therefore provides data for all officers deployed to traffic duties. (5 )The basis on which HMIC classify police service staff changed in the year 1999-2000 so the figures for 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. Some officers counted as deployed to traffic duties in earlier years may, from 1999-2000 onward, have been recorded as deployed to duties relating to traffic wardens. (6 )Data collected by Home Office and not by HMIC. Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties. (7 )Data unavailable for in all given years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Police officers FTE whose main function is 'Traffic'( 1)  (1998-99 to 2007-08) by region( 2) 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004 - 05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 North east 346 342 334 358 419 445 275 333 344 376 
			 North west 1,180 1,153 1,068 1,068 1,030 1,008 966 873 890 862 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 804 770 807 821 775 698 776 762 666 636 
			 East Midlands 596 537 545 410 385 497 495 494 483 477 
			 West Midlands 957 962 833 839 829 672 661 642 640 606 
			 Eastern 773 745 747 731 739 765 756 763 726 725 
			 London 806 846 710 25 607 616 1,057 627 634 638 
			 South east 1,035 969 981 874 882 778 881 852 839 844 
			 South west 667 659 658 633 650 668 681 596 610 628 
			 Wales 641 541 556 558 587 559 556 569 580 506 
			 England and Wales 7,806 7,522 7,238 6,317 6,902 6,706 7,104 6,511 6,412 6,299 
			 (1 )This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) All data compiled from table 1.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fixed speed cameras are being used to enforce 20 mph speed limits.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships.

Threats Contingencies and Operations Support Division

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the remit is of the Threats, Contingencies and Operations Support Division within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 17 October 2008
	 The remit of the Threats, Contingencies and Operations Support Division of the Transport Security and Contingencies Directorate (TRANSEC) in the Department covers a range of cross cutting policy and strategy issues. These include
	liaison with the United Kingdom counter terrorism intelligence community;
	civil contingencies and exercises;
	co-ordination of Olympic transport security policy;
	research, analysis and development;
	personnel security in relation to transport; and
	co-ordination of the Department's contribution to the CONTEST national counter terrorism strategy.
	Its work has been described in successive TRANSEC annual reports published oh the Department for Transport website.

Transport: Greater London

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much  (a) public and  (b) private sector funding was put into (i) London transport and (ii) non-London local transport in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following figures show local authority expenditure (current and capital) on public transport. (The data are taken from Local Government Finance Statistics on the CLG website:
	
		
			   million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 London 1,354 2,623 2,697 3,191 3,398 
			   
			 Non-London 4,546 4,424 4,882 5,110 5395 
		
	
	For 2002-03, there was additional central Government support for London Underground of 772 million.
	Data for earlier years (pre 2002-03) were not collated in a format consistent with later years and are therefore not provided. Figures for 2007-8 are currently unavailable.
	In respect of the private sector, information is not available as this covers areas such as developer contributions (e.g. under section 106 agreements), and investment by the private sector under public private partnerships. This information is not collated centrally.
	The Department does manage the award of PFI credits to schemes which are classified as private sector investment. The following figures show total PFI credits for London and non-London schemes for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08.
	
		
			   million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 London 0 12 0 70 24 0 
			
			 English local authorities (excluding London) 0 181 121 32 126 92

XL Leisure Group

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking with the travel industry following the collapse of XL Leisure Group to ensure that consumers are covered in the event of future airline company failures;
	(2)  if he will consider representations from the Association of British Travel Agents to introduce a universal consumer protection scheme for air travellers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 17 October 2008
	 The Government are keen to learn the lessons of XL's failure and over the coming weeks officials and Ministers will be discussing a range of issues arising with stakeholders with a view to improving the experience of passengers in future airline or tour operator failures. As part of this process I shall be happy to meet with ABTA to hear their views.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

University Entrants

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on the proportion of university entrants of each sex.

Maria Eagle: I have not yet had any discussions on the proportion of university entrants of each sex.

Trafficked Women

Anthony Steen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what arrangements are in place to provide a recovery and reflection period for women who are found to have been trafficked into the UK.

Maria Eagle: In addition to the normal asylum and humanitarian routes, victims of trafficking are provided with a 30-day reflection period and extended stay and support is available if they co-operate with a criminal investigation. The Government have committed to ratify the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings by the end of the year. This will see the introduction of a 45-day minimum recovery and reflection period for all identified victims and temporary one-year renewable residence permits in certain circumstances.

Prostitution

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans the Government has to reduce demand for prostitution.

Maria Eagle: Following a six month review into tackling the demand for prostitution, the Home Secretary recently announced the intention to outlaw paying for sex with someone controlled for another person's gain. Also announced was a crackdown on kerb-crawlers which will ensure that kerb-crawlers can be prosecuted on a first offence, and new powers to close premises associated with prostitution which will allow police to close exploitative brothels for a period of three months.

Women Entrepreneurs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans she has to increase the number of women entrepreneurs.

Maria Eagle: We published our Enterprise Strategy in March this year. It sets out the Government's plans to encourage women to start-up and grow their own businesses, including:
	Setting up a fund providing equity for women led businesses;
	Piloting Women's Business Centres;
	Supporting a national mentoring network for women in business;
	Supporting the establishment of a women's enterprise centre of expertise;
	Running a media campaign to raise awareness of enterprise among women.
	The Government Equalities Office is working closely with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to support the delivery of these measures.
	Women are the largest under represented group in terms of participation in enterprise and offer a wealth of untapped talent and economic opportunity.
	Measures to assist women's enterprise are an important part of the Government's Enterprise Strategy, including piloting Women's Business Centres, creating a fund to invest in women-led businesses, and supporting the establishment of a Women's Business Centre of Expertise.
	The Enterprise Strategy, published in March this year, recognises the importance of changing women's attitudes to enterprise; providing advice and support to women starting and running their businesses; and helping women entrepreneurs to achieve growth in their businesses.
	The Government Equalities Office is, jointly with BERR, supporting research into the barriers faced by mothers thinking about setting up their own business. This research will feed in to the development of Women's Business Centre pilots.
	The Government published a Strategic Framework for Women's Enterprise in 2003. This set out for the first time the policy imperative for the development of women's enterprise.
	The Government established the Task Force on Women's Enterprise to accelerate the levels of female entrepreneurship. It is also supporting the national network of 1,000 women entrepreneur ambassadors established with RDAs.

Equality Bill

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she is taking to consult young people on the provisions of the Equality Bill.

Maria Eagle: The consultation on the proposals for the Equality Bill included a children's consultation event organised on our behalf by the Children's Rights Alliance for England. Barbara Follett also met a small group of children and young people to discuss the impact the Equality Bill proposals may have on children and young people. Organisations representing children responded to the consultation paper and have also been invited to the regional stakeholder events on the Equality Bill which will take place during the next few months.

Departmental Finance

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much funding the Government Equalities Office is to receive in 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: For 2008-09, the Government Equalities Office will receive 77 million of resource funding and 7 million capital funding. Of this funding, 63 million resource and 7 million capital is allocated to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many and what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day she has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office has replied to a total of 39 named day questions in the current parliamentary session, of which nine (23 per cent.) had substantive replies on the named day and 30 (77 per cent.) received holding replies.

Domestic Violence Prosecutions

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many prosecutions for domestic violence against women failed to come to court because the victim refused to give evidence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The Government do not hold figures for the number of prosecutions for domestic violence against women or other crimes which failed to come to court because the victim refused to give evidence.
	Crown Prosecution Service records include an analysis of the reasons for unsuccessful court outcomes, including an indication of those cases dropped before a hearing because the victim refused to give evidence or retracted. In 2007-08, 3,829 cases were dropped for this reason, representing 19.3 per cent. of all unsuccessful outcomes for domestic violence, and 6 per cent. of all completed cases of domestic violence. However, these figures are not broken down by gender.

Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes

Neil Turner: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she plans to take to increase resources to regions where women who have undergone domestic violence are significantly underserved according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's survey Mapping the Gaps.

Maria Eagle: The responsibility for decisions about local level funding priorities, including the provision of specialist support to women who have been affected by domestic violence, rests with local authorities.
	The Supporting People programme provides the main source of public funding for housing-related support. This programme is delivered at a local level and decisions on how much money is spent on services for those affected by domestic violence are made by the top tier local authorities, based on a local needs assessment. The 2008-09 allocations for Supporting People amount to 1.686 billion. The top tier authorities spent 59,333,258 on services for those affected by domestic violence in 2005-06, and 61,645,319 in 2006-07.
	The Government Equalities Office will continue to work in partnership with the Women's National Commission, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and other Government Departments to keep a close watch on how local areas prioritise funding for domestic violence services.

Equality

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office will spend on the Single Equality Bill seminar being hosted on 10th December 2008 in conjunction with Whitehall and Westminster World.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 13 October 2008
	The Government Equalities Office is not making any contribution towards the cost of the Single Equality Bill seminar organised by Whitehall and Westminster World on 10 December 2008.

Gender: Discrimination

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government have taken to act upon the recommendations of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women since the 41st session of parties of 30 June to 18 July.

Barbara Follett: I will let the right hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.
	 Substantive answer from Maria Eagle to Theresa May:
	The United Kingdom was examined on its 5th and 6th reports to the United Nations committee and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women on July 10th this year. Following this examination the committee published a set of draft observations which welcomed the UK's adoption of a number of legislative, judicial and administrative measures aimed at promoting gender equality and eliminating discrimination. Among these were the 2006 Equality Act; The establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Gender Equality Duty for all public authorities.
	The Government Equalities Office is currently drafting an Action Plan to take forward the recommendations made in the draft report. A particular focus of which is to strengthen relations with other Government Departments and the Devolved Nations, in order to act on women's equality issues. The Government will provide a future progress report to the United Nations next year.

Gender: Discrimination

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce sexism in the workplace.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 15 October 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 October.

Women: Violence

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what progress the Government Equalities Office has made in  (a) developing and  (b) implementing a cross-Government strategy on violence against women.

Maria Eagle: Tackling violence against women is one of the priorities for the Ministers for Women, and my Department has published a report, Tackling Violence Against Women: A Cross-Government Narrative, which sets out the significant progress made by Government on this and the other priorities for the Ministers for Women. This report is available in the Commons Library.
	The Government continue to look at how we can strengthen and develop our approaches and the Home Secretary will be announcing plans on how this will be taken forward shortly. My Department, the Government Equalities Office, will be working with and supporting the Home Office in this.

Women: Violence

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps her Department has taken to tackle violence against women.

Maria Eagle: In July, the Government Equalities Office has more recently published Women's Changing Lives: Priorities for the Ministers for Women One Year On Progress Report which details the significant progress made by Government on this and the other priorities for the Ministers for Women. It highlights a number of steps taken, including specifically by my Department. For example:
	Creation of a cross-government emergency fund of 1 million to support rape crisis centres; and
	Hosted a meeting for Ministers, including myself, with members of the newspaper and advertising industry to raise concerns about small adverts in newspapersguidance for editors has since been tightened up.
	This and the earlier report, Tackling Violence Against Women: a Cross-Government Narrative, are both available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The Government Equalities Office has a strategic and influencing role within Government on equalities issues, including tackling violence against women. We work in partnership with other Government Departments, including the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General's Office on this issue. As deputy Minister for Women and Equality, I sit on the interdepartmental ministerial groups on domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking to which progress on tackling these horrible crimes is reported.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department's civil servants in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: Details of how much the Cabinet Office spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants in the last 12 months are not held centrally and are therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

Economic and Domestic Secretariat

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are employed in the Economic and Domestic Secretariat on a  (a) full-time equivalent and  (b) headcount basis.

Kevin Brennan: As at the end of September 2008, 34 people were employed in the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat of the Cabinet Office. This equates to 33.8 full-time equivalents.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what change there was in the number of people of working age in employment who were  (a) UK citizens,  (b) non-UK citizens,  (c) UK born and  (d) non-UK born in the period (i) 1987 to 1997 and (ii) since 1997, expressed (A) as a proportion of those of working age in employment and (B) as a proportion of the total change in employment level in the same periods.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 20 October 2008
	The .information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what change there was in the number of people of working age in employment who were (a) UK citizens, (b) non-UK citizens, (c) UK born and (d) non-UK born in the period (i) 1987 to 1997 and (ii) since 1997, expressed (A) as a proportion of those of working age in employment and (B) as a proportion of the total change in employment level in the same periods. (228444)
	The requested information for the period April-June 1997 to April-June 2008 is shown in the attached table. Comparable data for the period 1987 to 1997 are not available.
	Citizenship is defined as the nationality reported by respondents at the time of the survey.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. They are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  Working age( 1)  people in employment. by nationality and country of birthUnited Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   UK Nationals  Non UK Nationals  UK born  Non UK born  Total( 2) 
			 April to June 1997 (thousand) 24,686 943 23,710 1,919 25,631 
			 April to June 2008(3) (thousand) *25,882 *2,266 *24,532 *3,617 *28,152 
			 Change (thousand) 1,196 1,322 822 1,698 2,521 
			   
			 (A): Change as percentage of 2007 level 5 140 3 88 10 
			 (B): Change as percentage of total change 47 52 33 67 100 
			 (1) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. (2) Total includes those whose nationality and country of birth is not known. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, described as follows:  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: Coefficient of Statistical Robustness Variation (CV) (percentage) * 0  CV  5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5  CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10  CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Note: It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc).

Unemployment: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the level of unemployment was in Milton Keynes in each month since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 20 October 2008
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the level of unemployment was in Milton Keynes from 1997 to the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by month. (228428)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics for local areas using model based estimates following the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition.
	Model based estimates of unemployment for Milton Keynes are only available for annual periods from March 1997 to February 2004, and for rolling four quarter periods from January 2004. The latest estimates are for the 12 month period ending December 2007.
	Table 1, attached, shows model based estimates of the number of people aged 16 and over who were unemployed and resident in Milton Keynes from 1997 to 2007. As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	Table 2 attached shows the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance resident in Milton Keynes for each month since 1997.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website: www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of unemployed persons( 1)  resident in Milton Keynes 
			  12 months ending:  Number (Thousand) 
			 February 1997 5 
			 February 1998 6 
			 February 1999 5 
			 February 2000 4 
			 February 2001 4 
			 February 2002 4 
			 February 2003 6 
			 February 2004 6 
			 December 2004 5 
			 March 2005 5 
			 June 2005 5 
			 September 2005 5 
			 December 2005 5 
			 March 2006 6 
			 June 2006 7 
			 September 2006 7 
			 December 2006 7 
			 March 2007 6 
			 June 2007 6 
			 September 2007 5 
			 December 2007(2) (**)6 
			 (1) Levels of unemployment are provided for persons aged 16 and over. The figures presented are weighted to population estimates published in 2007. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: Coefficient of Statistical Robustness Variation (CV) (percentage) * 0  CV  5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5  CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10  CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV  20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Source: Model Based Estimates. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of persons claiming jobseeker ' s allowance resident in Milton Keynes 
			   Number 
			  1997  
			 January 4,440 
			 February 4,441 
			 March 4,157 
			 April 3,979 
			 May 3,766 
			 June 3,470 
			 July 3,540 
			 August 3,575 
			 September 3,446 
			 October 3,025 
			 November 2,734 
			 December 2,745 
			   
			 1998  
			 January 2,918 
			 February 2,997 
			 March 2,843 
			 April 2,811 
			 May 2,676 
			 June 2,516 
			 July 2,536 
			 August 2,536 
			 September 2,463 
			 October 2,301 
			 November 2,223 
			 December 2,266 
			   
			  1999  
			 January 2,573 
			 February 2,686 
			 March 2,612 
			 April 2,524 
			 May 2,477 
			 June 2,294 
			 July 2,303 
			 August 2,315 
			 September 2,279 
			 October 2,109 
			 November 2,074 
			 December 2,050 
			   
			  2000  
			 January 2,429 
			 February 2,446 
			 March 2,370 
			 April 2,196 
			 May 2,153 
			 June 2,062 
			 July 2,052 
			 August 2,042 
			 September 1,959 
			 October 1,829 
			 November 1,709 
			 December 1,769 
			   
			  2001  
			 January 1,956 
			 February 2,050 
			 March 2,042 
			 April 2,014 
			 May 1,954 
			 June 1,921 
			 July 1,995 
			 August 2,075 
			 September 1,925 
			 October 1,890 
			 November 1,880 
			 December 2,007 
			   
			  2002  
			 January 2,231 
			 February 2,420 
			 March 2,444 
			 April 2,404 
			 May 2,355 
			 June 2,345 
			 July 2,402 
			 August 2,429 
			 September 2,398 
			 October 2,310 
			 November 2,159 
			 December 2,150 
			   
			  2003  
			 January 2,428 
			 February 2,696 
			 March 2,815 
			 April 2,790 
			 May 2,656 
			 June 2,667 
			 July 2,685 
			 August 2,707 
			 September 2,792 
			 October 2,663 
			 November 2,645 
			 December 2,586 
			   
			  2004  
			 January 2,798 
			 February 2,971 
			 March 3,000 
			 April 2,889 
			 May 2,705 
			 June 2,566 
			 July 2,508 
			 August 2,400 
			 September 2,364 
			 October 2,336 
			 November 2,266 
			 December 2,282 
			   
			  2005  
			 January 2,506 
			 February 2,657 
			 March 2,689 
			 April 2,742 
			 May 2,776 
			 June 2,803 
			 July 2,869 
			 August 2,704 
			 September 2,785 
			 October 2,625 
			 November 2,524 
			 December 2,510 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 2,776 
			 February 3,056 
			 March 3,513 
			 April 3,376 
			 May 3,296 
			 June 3,254 
			 July 3,352 
			 August 3,273 
			 September 3,262 
			 October 3,150 
			 November 3,041 
			 December 2,965 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 3,224 
			 February 3,343 
			 March 3,291 
			 April 3,160 
			 May 3,084 
			 June 3,053 
			 July 3,056 
			 August 3,048 
			 September 2,899 
			 October 2,724 
			 November 2,730 
			 December 2,716 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 2,946 
			 February 3,185 
			 March 3,260 
			 April 3,368 
			 May 3,278 
			 June 3,452 
			 July 3,553 
			 August 3,923 
			 September 3,916 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System.

Young People: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many 14 to 19 year olds resided in  (a) the London Borough of Newham,  (b) the London Borough of Hackney,  (c) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and  (d) London in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, October 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding how many 14 to 19 year olds resided in (a) the London Borough of Newham, (b) the London Borough of Hackney, (c) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (d) London in each of the last five years. (228823)
	The table below show the estimated resident population of persons aged 14 to 19 years in the areas requested, for each of the 5 years to 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Mid-year population estimates of persons aged 14 to 19, 2003-07 
			  thousand 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Newham 24 24 23 22 21 
			 Hackney 16 16 16 15 15 
			 Tower Hamlets 17 16 16 15 15 
			 Greater London 524 527 526 526 521 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics

HEALTH

Alzheimer's Disease

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of  (a) funding and  (b) other provision for (i) nursing and (ii) personal care for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Phil Hope: holding answer 20 October 2008
	A draft of a National Dementia Strategy was published on 19 June for consultation. This has already been placed in the Library. The consultation closed on 11 September and we are currently considering carefully all the responses received before deciding the final shape of the strategy, and what resources are available to support its implementation including provision for nursing and personal care, for people with Alzheimer's disease. Funding will be announced around the same time when the strategy is published.

Ambulance Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the clinical basis is for the recommendation of his Department that transfers of patients between ambulance and hospital staff should be completed in under 15 minutes.

Ben Bradshaw: It is clearly important that patients are handed over to the care of hospital staff as soon as possible after the ambulance arrives in order to provide them with timely access to their next stages of care and to support a positive patient experience. 15 minutes is considered to be a reasonable time in which handover can be completed. Ambulance and acute trusts are expected to have appropriate clinical governance arrangements in place to ensure a high standard of patient care, including during handover.

Ambulance Services: Fuels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on fuel for ambulances in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on the amount spent on fuel for ambulances. This is a matter for the NHS ambulance trusts to manage locally.

Ambulance Services: Greater Manchester

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost per head of population of the ambulance service was in Greater Manchester in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The expenditure per head within the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area for 2005-06 was 25.54. This is based on the 2005-06 unweighted populations for the primary care trusts within the Greater Manchester SHA area and the total operating expenses for the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust reported in their audited summarisation schedules.

Angina

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are enough specialists to treat refractory angina.

Ann Keen: As set out in the next stage review, the health and social care work force planning system will be locally led, based on the principle that quality is best served by devolving decision making as closely as possible to the frontline in an environment of coherence, transparency and clear accountabilities.
	The Department will establish a Centre of Excellence for work force planning and national professional advisory boards, such as Medical Education England, to support local planning through high quality research, analysis and clinical advice to identify long-term work force requirements. The centre will also have a capability and capacity building function to ensure local national health service organisations can produce high quality work force planning. These measures will mean the NHS is in the best position to ensure that we have the right staff with the right skills in the right place at the right time, and that highly trained specialists are delivering the high quality care required for treatment of cases such as refractory angina.

Angina: Medical Treatments

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to inform patients of the National Refractory Angina Centre treatment option.

Ann Keen: The responsibility for informing patients about their treatment options lies with the clinician responsible for their management and treatment. The clinician should be aware of the different options available.
	The National Refractory Angina Centre's website which can be found at:
	www.angina.org
	provides comprehensive information for patients and clinicians.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust: Security

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of security cameras at Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust locations have been found to be faulty in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally.

British National Formulary

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that NHS hospital and community doctors are supplied with an up-to-date paper copy of the British National Formulary; and what arrangements are in place for  (a) purchase and  (b) distribution of such copies;
	(2)  whether the British National Formulary is available to NHS hospital and community doctors  (a) online and  (b) on disc.

Phil Hope: The Department purchases copies of the British National Formulary and British National Formulary for Children centrally and arranges for their distribution to national health service doctors and other health care professionals in England.
	Both the British National Formulary and British National Formulary for Children are available free online, through the National electronic Library for Medicines, National Library for Health or via the internet at:
	www.BNF.org
	NHS organisations or individuals can also purchase electronic versions for use on desktop computers, local intranets and personal digital assistants.

Cancer: Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on developing anti-cancer drugs in the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available. The Department does not have details of pharmaceutical industry expenditure on drug development in particular therapeutic areas.
	The reply I gave the hon. Member on 2 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1086W, describes the particular contribution the Department makes to the development of new treatments for cancer.

Cancer: Waiting Lists

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for cancer treatment in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust area in the latest period for which information is available.

Ann Keen: This information is not held in the format requested. However, the latest figures for June 2008 show that general practitioners (GPs) made 2,594 urgent referrals in relation to cancer to the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust. Subsequently, 99.9 per cent. of those patients were seen by a specialist within two weeks of being referred by their GP and 95.6 per cent. commenced their treatment within 62 days of the original referral.

Care Homes: Staff

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on staff shortages in care homes of restrictions on asylum seekers working.

Phil Hope: There have been no recent changes to United Kingdom asylum rules that affect the social care workforce.

Cord Blood

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the conclusions of the Umbilical Cord Blood Review will be published.

Dawn Primarolo: As part of a review of cord blood collection and use, the Department commissioned an international comparison with cord blood collection in Canada, China, France, Japan, Spain and the United States of America. The report will be made available later this year and its findings will be taken into account when considering policy in this area.

Dental Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has assessed in considering whether NHS dentists are  (a) dividing up courses of treatment unnecessarily and  (b) calling healthy patients back for check-ups unnecessarily.

Ann Keen: The Dental Services Division of the NHS Business Services Authority (DSD) sends out regular management information on contract activity to the national health service. This year the information includes recall intervals.
	Historically dentists have tended to recall patients every six months. However guidance issued in 2004 by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence stated that dentists should have more flexible recall intervals, based on each patient's clinical needs, and that orally healthy adults might not need a check-up more than once every two years. Recalling healthy patients at shorter intervals than is clinically needed does not benefit these patients, and potentially blocks access to the NHS for others.
	The source of the information is the activity returns, known as FP17s, which dental providers send to the DSD for every course of treatment delivered. These returns show significant variations among dental providers in the proportion of patients recalled at short intervals. The information will allow primary care trusts, who commission local dental services, to work with dentists to identify the causes of the variations and agree appropriate action to support best clinical practice.

Dental Services: Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are per 1,000 people in the London Borough of Havering.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of dentists with national health service activity, during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 per 100,000 population is available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the 'NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007-08' report. Information is available by strategic health authority and by primary care trust. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published work force figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. The revised methodology counts the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the website of the Information Centre for health and social care at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708.
	Figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Departmental Publications

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what internal reports his Department has produced on  (a) abortion,  (b) contraception and  (c) reproductive health issues in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department produces on a regular basis a wide range of internal reports and updates on abortion, contraception and reproductive health issues. An overall record of these reports and the number of them is not available.

Dietary Supplements

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether officials of the Food Standards Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency have had discussions with Royal Mail on its involvement in the delivery of catalogues marketing food supplements and herbal remedies which  (a) contain illegal ingredients and  (b) about which claims are made that would be illegal were the products to be placed directly on to the United Kingdom market.

Dawn Primarolo: Neither the Food Standards Agency nor the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have held discussions with Royal Mail on such matters.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on funding drug treatment services in each year since 1997; and what the projected expenditure on drug treatment services is in each year to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: Since 2001, the Department and the Home Office have provided specific resources for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This funding is allocated to the 149 drug action teams across the country to use, along with local mainstream funding, to provide for treatment and services according to the specific needs of each locality. We do not hold information on drug treatment spend prior to 2001.
	PTB allocations and local investment in drug treatment is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   million 
			   PTB  Local funding (figures sourced from the National Treatment Agency( 1) ) 
			   Allocation  Amount 
			 2001-02 142 145 
			 2002-03 191 131 
			 2003-04 236 200 
			 2004-05 253 204 
			 2005-06 300 208 
			 2006-07 385 212 
			 2007-08 398 206 
			 2008-09 398 206 
			 2009-10 (2)398 (2)206 
			 2010-11 (2)398 (2)206 
			 (1) Figures collated by the NTA, via the treatment planning process.  (2) Estimated spend for 2009-10 and 2010-11 includes contribution to funding of under-18s treatment.   Note:  In addition to the money spent directly on delivering treatment, central and local government funding is also spent on improving access to treatment (e.g. for offenders via Drugs Interventions Programme) and supporting drug misusers after they come out of treatment (e.g. aftercare and Supporting People).

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of genital wart treatment on the  (a) budget and  (b) workload of (i) genito-urinary clinics, (ii) cytology and colposcopy services and (iii) GPs' surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No such assessment has been made.
	Funding to support sexual health services is not allocated separately to primary care trusts (PCTs) but is contained within the mainstream revenue allocations made to PCTs. It is the responsibility of PCTs to commission the health services they need to meet the health requirements of the local populations they serve.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes in co-operation with other Government Departments to prevent misuse of NHS services by foreign nationals.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, place a legal duty on national health service (NHS) trusts to identify those overseas visitors who are liable for charges for hospital treatment and charge them accordingly.
	Where appropriate, the Home Department provides NHS trusts with verification of an overseas visitor's immigration status, which helps to establish liability for charges and minimise misuse of the NHS.
	In conjunction with the Home Department, the Department is currently reviewing access to the NHS by foreign nationals. The review includes investigating ways in which the NHS can better protect its resources for those entitled to use them, and work more closely with the Home Department to identify those who are not.

Health Services: West Sussex

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answers of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 339W and 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1795W, on health services: West Sussex, what assessment he has made of whether the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority and the West Sussex Primary Care Trust are allowing the panel reviewing services in the north east of West Sussex to consider all viable options.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has made no assessment of West Sussex Primary Care Trust's review of services in the north east of West Sussex. As stated in the answers I gave the hon. Member on 29 January and 21 April 2008, proposals for changes to services are a local matter. Therefore, I recommend that the right hon. Member continue to engage with the national health service locally on this issue.

Hepatitis

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of new cases of hepatitis C in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency has not had any estimates of newly acquired hepatitis C virus infections in the past 10 years. Such estimates cannot be made directly from national surveillance of serological tests for hepatitis C, as these do not distinguish between acute (new) and chronic (long-term) infections or between resolved and current infections.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1714W, on hospitals: infectious diseases, what the average cost per healthcare associated infection case is in 2008-09 prices; and what the estimated cost for all in-patient admissions in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2006-07 was using the Public Health Laboratory Service assumptions adjusted for inflation and in-patient numbers.

Ann Keen: The Department does not routinely collect this information and no single definitive cost figure exists. However, a study by the Public Health Laboratory Service(1) (PHLS) in 1999 estimated that hospital-acquired infections (HCAIs) cost the national health service 1 billion a year. This remains the best available estimate of NHS costs, although based on data from 1994-95.
	There were 11.4 million in-patient episodes in 1994-95. This suggests the cost per in-patient episode in 1994-95 is equivalent to 87. A cost of 87 in 1994-95 would be equivalent to 137 in 2006-07 prices. It is not possible to provide a more up to date figure because calculations are based on standard pay and price deflators published by the Personal Social Services Research Unit in agreement with the Department. Deflators for 2007-08 are not yet available.
	The answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1714W, reported a cost of around 4,300 per HCAI case. This analysis was based primarily on the PHLS report and figures were uprated using standard deflators. However, this figure was attributed to the wrong year, as the figure of 4,300 is appropriate for 2004-05 rather than 2003-04. The equivalent figure for 2006-07 is around 4,600.
	(1) R. Plowman, N. Graves, M. Griffin, J. A. Roberts, A. V. Swan, B. Cookson, L. Taylor. The socio-economic burden of hospital acquired infection. Public Health Laboratory Service 1999.

Hospitals: Security Guards

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on security staff in hospitals in Hemel Hempstead constituency in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Influenza: Vaccination

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people eligible for the seasonal influenza vaccine in winter 2008-09, broken down by primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department estimates that the number of registered patients eligible for the seasonal influenza vaccine will remain similar, or slightly higher, for the 2008-09 influenza season than for 2007-08. The Department estimated that the number of people aged 65 years and over that were eligible for the influenza vaccine in season 2007-08, in England, was around 8.5 million. The number of people under 65 years of age in a risk group that were eligible for the influenza vaccine, in England, was estimated at around 4.6 million. The figures are estimated from an extrapolation of data returned by primary care trusts (PCTs) on the number of patients vaccinated by general practices.
	Data for 2008-09 from the PCTs will not be available until mid November 2008 when general practices return their collection surveys to the Department.
	The figures, which are broken down by PCT (England only), represents data from 95 per cent, of general practices for 2007-08 and have been placed in the Library.

Influenza: Vaccination

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many seasonal influenza vaccines are available for dispensing in winter 2008-09, broken down by primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: General practices order influenza vaccines directly from the suppliers. As such a break down of quantity by primary care trust is not possible.
	The Department holds regular discussions with the UK Vaccine Industry Group (UVIG) to ensure adequate vaccine supply for the influenza programme. This year there are 13.5 million influenza doses available for dispensing this winter, in the United Kingdom.
	The UVIG has confirmed that this is sufficient to meet all orders placed with the suppliers.

Lung Diseases

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people required treatment for an asbestos-related condition in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people required treatment for pleural plaques in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many people were diagnosed with mesothelioma in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many people were diagnosed with pleural plaques in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested, as there are no data available at the constituency level. The following table shows the number of deaths in South Tyneside, the north-east and the United Kingdom, where asbestos was specified as the underlying cause, from 1997 to 2005, which are the latest figures available.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 1)  2005( 1) 
			 South Tyneside 3 0 0 0 1 2 5 3 0 
			 North East 10 8 10 13 14 20 19 19 15 
			 England 55 49 55 57 68 94 96 83 107 
			 (1) Provisional  Note: This excluding cases that also mention mesothelioma Source: Health and Safety Executive British Asbestosis Register 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of deaths from mesothelioma broken down in the same way.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 1)  2005( 1) 
			 South Tyneside 15 12 8 15 18 9 8 15 10 
			 North East 126 100 119 123 154 127 112 134 159 
			 England 1,181 1,334 1,406 1,425 1,630 1,622 1,642 1,731 1,787 
			 (1) Provisional  Source: Health and Safety Executive British Mesothelioma Register 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of admissions to hospital where the primary diagnosis refers to pleural plaques for residents of South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT), North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) (formerly Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA, prior to 2006-07) and England for 1997-98 to 2006-07. This is not the same as how many people have required treatment for pleural plaques as not everyone in need of treatment is admitted to hospital. Also, the number of admissions does not necessarily represent the number of patients as a patient may be admitted to hospital more than once.
	
		
			   South Tyneside PCT  North East SHA (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA prior to 2006-07)  England 
			 2006-07 * 33 570 
			 2005-06 7 37 508 
			 2004-05 6 30 433 
			 2003-04 7 25 379 
			 2002-03 * 22 357 
			 2001-02 0 32 352 
			 2000-01 * 23 337 
			 1999-2000 * 26 283 
			 1998-99 * 23 291 
			 1997-98 * 15 245 
			 Notes: 1. Small numbers: Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with '*' (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed in order to protect patient confidentiality. 2. Quality of care: Data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) cannot be used in isolation to evaluate the quality of care provided by NHS trusts. There are many factors that can affect the outcome of treatment and it is beyond the scope of HES to adequately record and present all of these. 3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 5. Primary diagnosis: The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. The ICD-10 codes used to identify Pleural plaques are: J92.0Pleural plaque with presence of asbestos. J92.9Pleural plaque without asbestos. 6. Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary diagnosis: These figures represent the number of episodes where the diagnosis was recorded in the primary diagnosis field in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. 7. Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 8. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.

Medical Equipment

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of  (a) national guidance and circulars and  (b) representations received from NHS organisations on the disposal of crutches.

Phil Hope: The Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe Management of Healthcare Waste has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_063274
	National health service organisations are required to develop their own waste disposal policies in line with the national waste strategy for England.
	The Department has received no representation from NHS organisations on the disposal of crutches.

Medical Equipment

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1175W, on medical equipment, if he will publish the toolkit developed by The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme to enable local authorities and their health partners to calculate the true cost of their decontamination and recycling.

Phil Hope: holding answer 20 October 2008
	We have decided not to publish the toolkit because it cannot stand alonesupport is necessary in order to use it effectively. When a local authority (LA) engages with the programme to explore implementing the model, support will be provided by the national team responsible for the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchairs Services project.
	Currently 53 LA and NHS partnerships have the toolkit, out of the 78 that have currently expressed an interest in working more closely with the programme. This means 53 organisations have either completed the exercise or are in the process of collecting their information. The remaining 25 organisations are not at the stage where they have set up their project yet, but are expected to do so in due course.

Medical Treatments Abroad

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that UK citizens who opt to have  (a) medical and  (b) dental treatment carried out in other EU states receive a sufficient level of practitioner expertise.

Dawn Primarolo: Unless the national health service explicitly takes responsibility for the standards of care for treatment it offers a patient, it is the standards, regulation and inspection processes of the country of treatment, not those of the NHS that apply.

Midwives: Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed by Havering Primary Care Trust  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the latest date for which information is available.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of midwives employed midwives by Havering Primary Care Trust in the years 1997 and 2007 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified midwifery staff in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust  Number 
			 1997 244 
			 2007 295 
			  Note: In 2000 acute services from Redbridge Healthcare NHS Trust merged with Havering Hospitals NHS Trust to form Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust.  Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census.

Midwives: Redundancy

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS midwives have received redundancy notices in the last two years.

Ann Keen: The number of national health service midwives to receive compulsory redundancy notices in the last two years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Period  Total number of compulsory redundancies for midwives  Total number of compulsory redundancies (all groups) 
			 2006-07 7 2,330 
			 2007-08 1 2,223 
			 2008-09 (quarter 1 only available) 0 232

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission further research into the possible effects of mobile telephones on health.

Dawn Primarolo: The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme has been under way since 2001.
	The first set of results were published by the MTHR in 2007. Its overall conclusions were that
	none of the research supported by the programme and published so far (23 papers) demonstrates that biological or adverse health effects are produced by radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones.
	The committee recognised that some concerns still remain and proposed a further programme of work. Three studies in this second phase are already under way. Details can be found on their website at:
	www.mthr.org.uk/research_projects/research.htm.
	The Health Protection Agency's (HPA) Radiation Protection Division provides advice on mobile phones technology and health to government and the general public. The HPA monitors the scientific literature on mobile phone technology and health in support of its advice.
	Further information can be found on the following web page:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAwebPageHPAwebAuto ListName/Page/1158934607786?p=1158934607786

MRSA: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have contracted MRSA in hospitals in Havering in the last five years.

Ann Keen: The latest information available held by the Department on the number of cases of methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) reported to the Health Protection Agency by Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of reports to the HPA  MRSA rate per 10,000 bed days 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 116 2.4 
			 April 2007 to September 2007 20 0.9 
			 October 2007 to March 2008 20 0.9 
			 April 2008 to June 2008 10 0.9

NHS Direct: Operating Costs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the public purse of a telephone call to NHS Direct was in each year since the service was established; and how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each such year.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is available from 2004-05 onwards, when NHS Direct was established as a national service. The information is available in the following table.
	
		
			   Total calls to the 0845 4647 service answered ( Thousand )  Cost per call () 
			 2004-05 5,368 22.61 
			 2005-06 5,521 25.54 
			 2006-07 5,009 25.49 
			 2007-08 4,858 25.53

NHS: Compensation

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid in compensation to patients by each London-based hospital trust in each of the last three years.  [Official Report, 4 December 2008, Vol. 485, c. 1MC.]

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is in the following table and was obtained from the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) website. The data cover compensation paid out to patients under the NHSLA's Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts and Existing Liabilities Scheme. Further information can be found in the NHSLA's published factsheets, available on their website at:
	www.nhsla.com/Publications
	
		
			  Compensation paid by year 
			   
			  NHS Trust  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 9,704,939 2,558,682 3,969,003 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 2,153,553 1,766,719 2,694,458 
			 Barts and The London Hospitals NHS Trust 5,962,410 1,122,305 1,669,554 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 1,961,575 382,574 1,013,984 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 3,436,922 3,682,525 6,528,221 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 319,570 136,663 159,811 
			 Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 2,029,226 827,196 3,001,362 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust 331,358 115,918 229,737 
			 Guys and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1,926,549 1,503,895 7,635,693 
			 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 4,361,232 261,661 505,495 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 462,799 3,187,288 1,350,342 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust(1) 1,124,036 4,224,883 11,180,619 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust 1,664,813 1,481,754 3,052,508 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 552,580 5,081,598 2,406,222 
			 Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 450,795 674,894 1,962,853 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 1,197,728 4,628,306 3,323,737 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 233,534 106,400 47,500 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 2,545,728 949,859 1,941,285 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 1,188,597 3,784,051 1,521,117 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 1,120,443 932,743 1,037,646 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 638,601 963,428 1,241,892 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 105,000 1,385,930 975,018 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 1,267,101 1,064,319 3,409,945 
			 Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 10,096 7,790 53,710 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 3,250 39,375 1,588,837 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 2,242,242 2,119,033 3,186,074 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 5,635,329 1,159,230 6,047,562 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 304,938 1,335,725 545,146 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 589,503 5,134,654 879,929 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 1,456,604 1,018,720 716,682 
			 (1) Before 2007-08, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's NHS Trust.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding is allocated within the NHS for protecting staff from intimidation and violence; what guidance has been issued to trusts on how these funds should be spent; and what safeguards have been put in place to ensure the funding is spent for the purposes for which it is intended.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service allocations for individual primary care trusts are not broken down into funding for separate areas such as staff safety, neither is funding received by providers via the national tariff. It is not possible for the Department to make an accurate assessment of the need to spend on individual priorities at the local level and ring fencing of funding would undermine local assessments and decision-making.
	Employers have a duty to address the risks to staff and to ensure their safety. The national health service security management service assist local decisions by providing employers with guidance and support to ensure an effective approach to preventing violence and, where such incidents do occur, to taking action against offenders.
	The Department has not centrally monitored the amount spent within the national health service on protecting staff from intimidation and violence.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to hospital trusts on the purchasing of medicines in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) works to ensure that the national health service in England makes the most effective use of its resources by getting the best possible value for money when purchasing goods and services. The prime target is to release money that could be better spent on patient care by achieving purchasing savings and improving supply performance across the NHS. It provides strategic direction and oversees the development of category strategies and seeks to ensure that NHS procurement is delivered through consistent processes. Where sourcing issues require a national lead they will provide that focus on behalf of the Department. A wide range of guidance is published for the use of those involved in NHS procurement and is available on NHS PASA's website at:
	www.pasa.nhs.uk/PASAWeb/NHSprocurement/AboutNHSPASA/LandingPage.htm
	NHS PASA works with trust pharmacists to deliver the procurement of medicines for secondary care via a nationally agreed sourcing strategy. The focus of this work will be to ensure security of supply, delivery of savings and enabling the NHS to realise improvements in the supply chain. Detailed guidance on the procurement of individual medicines is provided where necessary on a case by case basis.

NHS: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of expenditure in the NHS was spent on  (a) administration and  (b) monitoring targets in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect the specific information requested.
	The Department does collect information that will form part of administration and monitoring costs. This includes the cost of administration and clerical staff groups, which (excluding NHS foundation trusts) represented approximately 4 per cent. of the total expenditure of the NHS in the 2007-08 financial year, compared to approximately 5.3 per cent. in the 1997-98 financial year. However, it should be noted that many staff included within this expenditure will have operational rather than purely administrative roles.
	In addition, the Department also collects Management Cost information, which (excluding NHS foundation trusts) represented approximately 3 per cent. of the total expenditure of the NHS in the 2007-08 financial year. It should be noted management costs much more than just the cost of administration and monitoring targets.

NHS: Manpower

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those employed by the NHS were employed in  (a) medical posts,  (b) administrative posts and  (c) posts with both medical and administrative responsibilities in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows both the head count and percentage of national health service staff employed as professionally qualified clinical staff, which includes doctors, qualified nursing, qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff, and ambulance staff. Numbers and percentages for staff with a medical and administrative background are unavailable.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services and general practice (GP) work force (excluding GP retainers)England at 30 September 2007 
			   Headcount  Percentage 
			 Total employed staff 1,330,544 100 
			
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 681,246 51.2 
			 All doctors(1,2) 127,645 9.6 
			 Qualified nursing staff(3) 399,597 30.0 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 136,976 10.3 
			 Qualified ambulance staff 17,028 1.3 
			
			 Total clerical and administrative staff(4) 256,686 19.3 
			 Central functions 128,620 9.7 
			 Hotel, property and estates 8,818 0.7 
			 St and T support 14,391 1.1 
			 Clerical support 101,125 7.6 
			 Ambulance service support 3,732 0.3 
			
			 Other non-medical staff(5) 298,097 22.4 
			
			 Other GP practice staff(6) 94,515 7.1 
			 (1) Excludes GP retainers. (2) Figures exclude HCHS medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals who have been excluded to avoid double counting. (3) Nursing and midwifery figures exclude students on training courses leading to a first qualification as a nurse or midwife. Includes GP practice nurses. (4) Examples of staff in central functions are staff in HR, informatics, payroll, and library staff. Examples of staff in Hotel, property and estates are clerical laundry staff, domestic services and home wardens. Examples of staff in ST and T support are clerical staff in audiology, haematology, dietetics and microbiology. Ambulance service support staff are ambulance controllers, training staff and ambulance officers. (5) Other non-medical staff includes ambulance support staff, maintenance and works staff and a small number of other and unknown staff. (6) Other practice staffthere is no breakdown of type of work for headcount data. However type of work is available for full time equivalent practice staff and the majority (over 80 per cent. in 2007) were admin and clerical staff.  Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal medical services statistics 2. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 3. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

NHS: Reorganisation

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which firms have been contracted to work on the  (a) internal communication and  (b) external communication with the public aspects of the NHS Next Stage Review; and what the value is of these contracts.

Ann Keen: The Department has purchased the services of a range of companies in connection with public-facing communications on the national health service next stage review. The project team itself has procured services from 20 companies. These organisations have assisted the project team in a range of areas including the following:
	Design and facilitation of review events; and
	Communications including production of materials, including the interim and final report, and website management.
	The total amount paid to these companies is approximately 3.3 million.

Nurses: General Practitioners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) nurses and  (b) allied health professionals work in GP practices in each London borough;
	(2)  how many GP practices there are in each London borough.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of nurses and general practitioner practices can be found in the following table.
	However, information on allied healthcare professionals is not held centrally.
	
		
			  GP practices and practice nurses by primary care trust (PCT) in London, as at 30 September 2007 
			   GP practices  Practice nurses 
			 Havering PCT 51 103 
			 Kingston PCT 28 72 
			 Bromley PCT 51 117 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 45 116 
			 Barnet PCT 74 153 
			 Hillingdon PCT 50 95 
			 Enfield PCT 61 96 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 42 83 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 47 91 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 36 82 
			 Newham PCT 67 105 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 59 92 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 31 47 
			 Ealing PCT 79 131 
			 Hounslow PCT 57 79 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 70 105 
			 Harrow PCT 39 90 
			 Camden PCT 43 65 
			 Islington PCT 40 61 
			 Croydon PCT 62 145 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 44 36 
			 Westminster PCT 51 91 
			 Lambeth PCT 54 136 
			 Southwark PCT 49 102 
			 Lewisham PCT 48 115 
			 Wandsworth PCT 49 123 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 31 59 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 54 131 
			 Redbridge PCT 49 84 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 53 84 
			 Bexley Care Trust 32 100 
			 Total 1,546 2,989 
			  Notes: 1. The annual GP Census collection does not collect data broken down by allied health professionals working within GP practices. 2. Data not available for London boroughs. PCT boundaries correspond exactly to London boroughs.  Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Nurses: Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified school nurses there have been in each primary care trust in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: School nurse occupation codes were first introduced in 2004. Consequently data can be provided only from this time. The information has been placed in the Library.

Obesity: Surgery

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what options for bariatric surgery for the morbidly obese are provided by  (a) Gateshead and South Tyneside Primary Care Trust and  (b) Liverpool Primary Care Trust in their respective areas;
	(2)  how many morbidly obese patients in  (a) the Gateshead and South Tyneside Primary Care Trust area and  (b) the Liverpool Primary Care Trust area have been offered a duodenal switch in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children. This is available at:
	www.nice.org.uk/CG43
	This guidance is for both health and non-health professionals, and contains guidance on when bariatric surgery may be considered as an option.
	It is up to primary care trusts as local commissioners and providers of services to determine the most appropriate methods to deliver health care to their populations, based on clinical need and effectiveness, and following medical advice.

Ophthalmology: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the NHS budget was spent on ophthalmology in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: Expenditure data relating to 'Problems of Vision', covering both primary and secondary care services, are collected as part of the annual programme budgeting returns to the Department by primary care trusts. Programme budgeting data for 2007-08 are not scheduled to be collected from primary care trusts until December 2008 and therefore are not currently available.

Ophthalmology: Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many opticians there are per 1,000 people in the London Borough of Havering.

Ann Keen: The information is not held centrally. The Information Centre for health and social care will publish the numbers of General Ophthalmic Services ophthalmic practitioners per 100,000 population, as at 31 December 2007, in the General Ophthalmic Services: Workforce Statistics for England and Wales, 31 December 2007 report. It is anticipated that the report will be published in November 2008, with information available by primary care trust and strategic health authority.

Organs: Donors

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Organ Donation Taskforce.

Ann Keen: A Programme Delivery Board, Chaired by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, has been established to bring together all those with a role in implementing the recommendations, including representatives from all four UK Health Departments, NHS Blood and Transplant, Human Tissue Authority, National Commissioning Group, Healthcare Commission and the relevant professional organisations. The Board will be responsible for ensuring that all recommendations are fully implemented.
	In addition, Chris Rudge took up his appointment as the first National Clinical Director for Transplantation in September, with a remit of driving forward the implementation of the Taskforce recommendations.

Pharmacy

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many licensed pharmacies there are in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England.

Phil Hope: holding answer 20 October 2008
	This information is only collected at primary care trust (PCT) level. The number of community pharmacies open in Lancashire PCTs at 31 March 2007 is shown in the following table.
	Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for each Devolved Administration.
	
		
			   Number of community pharmacies 
			 England 10,133 
			   
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching PCT 36 
			 Blackpool PCT 42 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 88 
			 East Lancashire PCT 85 
			 North Lancashire PCT 60 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of investigations into alleged wrongfully claimed exemptions from prescription charges in the last 12 months; and how much the NHS received in penalty charges during that period.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ritalin

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed ritalin in England in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: Ritalin is a brand name for methylphenidate hydrochloride. The product is also available under the different brand names Concerta, Equasym, Metadate and Tranquilyn.
	The number of people prescribed a medicine is not held centrally. The number of prescription items for methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed in the community in England for the period requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of prescription items dispensed ( Th ousand) 
			 1998 126.621 
			 1999 157.952 
			 2000 186.190 
			 2001 208.452 
			 2002 253.956 
			 2003 314.460 
			 2004 359.068 
			 2005 389.186 
			 2006 456.909 
			 2007 535.328 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) Data

Social Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each local authority area were in receipt of the social care personal expenses allowance in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Care home residents who are supported by local authorities contribute most of their income to pay for the cost of their care, but to ensure they have money to spend on personal items, they are guaranteed a weekly personal expenses allowance (PEA). The PEA is not a benefit paid to residents, but the minimum amount of their own money they must be left with, after their contribution to the cost of their care has been deducted from their income. All care home residents who are supported by local authorities in residential accommodation under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 will, therefore, receive at least the PEA each week.
	The following table shows the total number of people aged 18 or over receiving funding from their local authority to pay for their residential home placement as at 31 March each year.
	
		
			  Local authority supported residents in registered accommodation, at 31 March 2003 to 2007, England 
			   Rounded number 
			 2003 284,135 
			 2004 277,950 
			 2005 267,240 
			 2006 256,950 
			 2007 247,285 
			  Source: SRI form.

Surgery

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were for  (a) heart and  (b) cancer operations in (i) Chesterfield, (ii) Derbyshire and (iii) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Average waiting times for heart surgery for the relevant organisations are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Mean and median days waited for a heart operation 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			   England  Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation trust 
			   Mean days waited  Median days waited  Finished Consultant Episodes  Mean days waited  Median days waited  Finished Consultant Episodes  Mean days waited  Median days waited  Finished Consultant Episodes 
			 2006-07 65 56 294,811 45 42 846 44 36 1,506 
			 2005-06 74 60 287,215 52 30 896 117 45 1,547 
			 2004-05 87 69 270,917 95 111 559 97 43 1,227 
			 2003-04 100 70 254,710 2 2 32 52 21 1,156 
			 2002-03 108 74 233,223 8 8 27 58 36 920 
			 2001-02 109 69 214,077 (1) (1) 44 60 41 990 
			 2000-01 112 69 198,718 (1) (1) 50 116 60 983 
			 1999-2000 102 60 185,750 (1) (1) 58 103 60 819 
			 1998- 99 108 63 177,711 (1) (1) 42 26 13 737 
			 1997- 98 105 60 161,922 (1) (1) 31 (2) (2) (2) 
			 (1) Denotes very few heart operations were performed in Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between 1997-98 and 2001 02. Those heart operations that did take place were likely to be emergency procedures. (2) Denotes 1997-98 data have not been provided for Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust due to a complex merger that occurred during this time. Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	Statistics on average waiting times between decision to treat and treatment for cancer surgery are not collected centrally. Performance against the cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from decision to treat to first cancer treatment for the relevant organisations are shown in the following table
	
		
			  Percentage of patients treated within 31 days of a clinical diagnosis being made by a responsible specialist  all cancers 
			  Percentage 
			   Quarter  Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  England 
			 2004-05 Q4 99.0 91.8 91.1 
			 2005-06 Q4 100.0 98.7 98.9 
			 2006-07 Q4 99.7 99.5 99.6 
			 2007-08 Q4 100.0 98.7 99.5

Surgery: Training

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU Working Time Directive on the effectiveness of surgical training; what representations he has received from the Royal College of Surgeons on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has received a small number of representations from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) about the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) and the impact of SiMAP and Jaeger European Court of Justice Rulings in reducing the number of operations undertaken by trainee surgeons. This includes letters and discussion points at meetings.
	The Government highlighted the importance of supporting surgical training when striving for changes to the EWTD. The European Council of Employment Ministers agreed in June that the EWTD should be amended and negotiations have moved forward to the European Parliament.
	The Government have sponsored research by the RCS (and the Royal College of Anaesthetists) to identify how surgical and anaesthesia services are attempting to meet the requirements of WTD 2009 and to formulate appropriate advice and examples of good practice.
	Several North West trusts have achieved the 48-hour week requirement a year early and maximised training opportunities for surgeons through introducing innovative working patterns, in consultation with their doctors in training.

Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis have been reported in each county in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available from the Health Protection Agency Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance scheme has been placed in the Library.

Vaccination: Travel

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of travel-related vaccines by the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: Certain vaccinations and immunisations for travel abroad are available free of charge on the national health service:
	typhoid,
	cholera,
	polio,
	infectious hepatitis (Hep A).
	It is at the discretion of the general practitioner if they give any other travel vaccines free of charge.

West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust: Security

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of security cameras at West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust locations have been found to be faulty in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children's Plan

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many resources, how many facilities and how much funding announced in the Children's Plan is not yet committed; what  (a) facilities and  (b) funding he plans to make available to organisations in Herefordshire, including Herefordshire Council, under the Children's Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Children's Plan set out how resources would be allocated to the Department's priorities.
	In the majority of cases this resource has already been committed. However, for some policies the detail of the plans is still being decided for 2009/10 and beyond.
	When the roll-out plans have been finalised, we will endeavour to announce further allocations in good time to allow Herefordshire and other LAs to plan activities and programmes.
	The Department will be reporting on progress towards the Children's Plan later this year.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many childcare places of each type  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each year since 2003;
	(2)  how many  (a) after-school facilities and  (b) holiday clubs have closed in (i) each of the last 10 years and (ii) in each quarter of the last three years;
	(3)  how many  (a) after-school facilities and  (b) holiday clubs have opened in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  how many  (a) after-school and  (b) holiday club places for children have opened in (i) each of the last 10 years and (ii) each quarter of the last three years.

Beverley Hughes: Ofsted do not separately identify after-school facilities and holiday clubs, these are included in the Out of School Day Care category. The available information is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of childcare places that have opened and closed( 1) : Position as at 31 March each year, England 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			  Opened 238,600 21.6 254,100 21.6 212,800 17.0 198,400 15.5 188,300 14.6 
			 Childminders 62,800 19.6 53,000 16.8 48,800 15.1 47,500 14.9 40,300 13.5 
			 Full Daycare 98,600 21.6 117,600 22.7 89,900 15.9 85,500 14.3 83,400 13.4 
			 Out of school(2) 77,200 23.6 83,500 24.5 74,200 20.2 85,400 17.9 64,600 17.5 
			  Closed 128,400 11.6 200,800 17.1 147,600 11.8 180,200 14.1 190,400 14.8 
			 Childminders 50,400 15.8 63,000 19.9 44,800 13.9 54,800 17.3 63,000 21.1 
			 Full Daycare 38,500 8.4 65,600 12.7 50,000 8.8 57,700 9.6 64,700 10.4 
			 Out of school(2) 39,400 12.1 72,200 21.2 52,700 14.4 67,600 18.5 62,700 17.0 
			
			  Net steady state changes( 3) +24,600 2.2 +19,200 1.6 +8,800 0.7 +9,100 0.7 +10,700 0.8 
			 Childminders +6,400 2.0 +6,300 2.0 +2,100 0.7 +2,900 0.9 +3,600 1.2 
			 Full Daycare +14,600 3.2 +9,600 1.9 +5,500 1.0 +5,200 0.9 +5,200 0.8 
			 Out of school(2) +3,600 1.0 +3,300 1.0 +1,100 0.3 +1,100 0.3 +1,900 0.5 
			
			  Net change +134,900 12.2 +72,600 6.2 +74,000 5.9 +27,400 2.1 +8,500 0.7 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. (2) out of School Day Care figures may not include services in extended schools as OFSTED data only includes providers that have to register separately. (3). The Net Study State refers to registered providers who registration status has not changed, but whose number of places has fluctuated over the period in question.  Source: Ofsted 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of childcare providers that have opened and closed( 1) : Position as at 31 March each year, England 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			  Opened 21,200 22.9 18,500 20.2 16,400 17.3 15,500 16.4 13,500 15.1 
			 Childminders 16,300 22.5 13,100 18.6 11,900 16.6 11,200 16.1 9,300 14.5 
			 Full daycare 2,500 22.6 2,800 23.3 2,300 17.3 2,200 15.9 2,100 15.0 
			 Out of school(2) 2,400 25.9 2,600 27.3 2,300 21.6 2,100 19.7 2,000 19.0 
			
			  Closed 14,400 15.5 19,200 20.9 13,400 14.0 16,400 17.4 18,200 20.4 
			 Childminders 12,100 16.7 15,300 21.8 10,500 14.7 12,900 18.5 14,600 22.6 
			 Full daycare 1,100 9.7 1,800 14.5 1,300 10.1 1,500 10.8 1,700 11.8 
			 Out of school(2) 1,200 13.0 2,200 22.6 1,500 14.6 2,000 18.7 1,900 18.1 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. (2) Out of school day care figures may not include services in extended schools as Ofsted data only include providers that have to register separately.  Source: Ofsted 
		
	
	The Department is unable to provide accurate details of closure rates for child care places and providers prior to 2003.
	Since March 2003 data on closure rates have been available from Ofsted. Their data on closures include registered places in settings which are transferring ownership, and in settings which move from one Ofsted category to another, not just those which are ceasing trading.

Departmental Consultants

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1113W, on departmental consultants, what estimate his Department makes for planning purposes of the average costs of undertaking a public consultation.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The majority of the Department's formal consultations are undertaken in-house by the Central Consultation Unitthe costs for which are given in my response to the hon. Lady's pursuant question on departmental publications. Any costs beyond this are normally met by the policy area commissioning the consultation; these are not recorded centrally and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1115-6W, on departmental publications, what the  (a) budget and  (b) staffing costs of the (i) Central Publications Team and (ii) Central Consultation Unit were in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows:
	(i) The budget for this Department's Central Publications Team was 100,000 in 2007-08 and staffing costs were 75,838.
	(ii) The budget for the Central Consultation Unit covers the staffing costs for the unit and the cost of maintaining the Department's on-line e-consultation system. In 2007-08 the staffing costs were 189,624 and the cost of the e-consultation system was 13,155.

Departmental Publications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which information and guidance documents his Department circulated to  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools in 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department issued a fortnightly email to all schools in England in 2007 highlighting key information, including guidance and legislation. The Department only circulates documents to schools in exceptional cases, having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004.

Departmental Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many security passes have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) stolen by staff in his Department and its predecessors in each year since 2001.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was created on 28 June 2007. Since that time 187 security passes have been reported as lost and 20 reported as stolen.
	Although we could provide incomplete information prior to the creation of DSCF, the collation of the records dating from 2001 from each HQ building and each prior Department would be both difficult and time consuming and would take us over the disproportionate cost limit.

GCE A-level

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of sixth form students  (a) in the state sector and  (b) at grammar schools achieved three or more grade As at A-level in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The proportions of sixth form students who achieved three or more A grades at A-level in 2008, by type of school, are shown in table 1 of the statistical first release 'GCE/VCEA/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2007/08 (Provisional)':
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000816/index.shtml.

GCE A-level

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 590W, on GCE A-level, if he will disaggregate the figures in the previous answer by  (a) grade and  (b) type of school.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information broken down by school type has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Only figures at A-level are fully broken down by all grades and figures for GCSE are provided using the A*-C and A*-G breakdowns.
	Full grade breakdowns for GCSE and the equivalent figures for AS-levels can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils did not gain a GCSE at  (a) C grade or above,  (b) D grade or above and  (c) E grade or above in 2008;
	(2)  how many pupils did not obtain five A* to G grades at GCSE, excluding equivalents, in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008;
	(3)  how many pupils did not obtain any GCSEs, excluding equivalents, in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested for 2008 is given in the following table. This information is based on provisional statistics and schools are currently checking their results and providing amendments as part of the annual results checking exercise.
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 Did not obtain five A*-G 89,039 13.6 
			 Did not obtain one A*-C 137,379 21.0 
			 Did not obtain one A*-D 76,320 11.7 
			 Did not obtain one A*-E 44,733 6.8 
			 Did not obtain one A*-G 24,636 3.8 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 14 October,  Official Report, column 1123W, for information of the number of pupils who did not obtain five GCSEs at grades A*-G in 2007.

Grammar Schools: Admissions

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of the total student entry to secondary education in England in 2008 enrolled in grammar schools.

Jim Knight: The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The latest available information shows the number of schools and pupils by admissions policy of the school and has been placed in the Library.

Pre-school Education: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Darlington constituency took up free nursery places in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in Darlington parliamentary constituency area. Data at parliamentary constituency level are not yet available for 2008.
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds: parliamentary constituency Darlington p osition in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  Total four-year-olds 
			 2004 780 290 1,100 990 100 1.10 
			 2005 700 270 970 890 110 1,000 
			 2006 710 310 1,000 860 90 940 
			 2007 710 330 1,000 930 130 1,100 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency prior to 2004 are not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	Table 2 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for Darlington local authority area for the years 1999 to 2008.
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds: local authority Darlingtonposition in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1999 1,000 n/a 1,000 n/a n/a (5,6)1,300 
			 2000 980 (7)0 1,000 m/a n/a (5,6)1,300 
			 2001 920 (7)60 970 n/a n/a (5,6)1,300 
			 2002 920 (7)290 1,200 1,100 (5)110 1,200 
			 2003 870 (7)350 1,200 1,100 (8)130 1.200 
			 2004 780 (9)370 1,200 1,100 (10)120 1,200 
			 2005 700 (9)350 1,100 970 (10)150 1,100 
			 2006 740 (9)370 1,100 950 (10)120 1,100 
			 2007 740 (9)390 1,100 1,000 (10)150 1,200 
			 2008 810 (9)410 1,200 1,100 (10)140 1,200 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1999-2001, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 12/2008 Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008, available on my Department's website:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the average length of time was between permanent exclusion of a pupil and their placement in another mainstream school or pupil referral unit in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  in how many maintained mainstream schools more than  (a) 10 per cent.,  (b) 15 per cent.,  (c) 20 per cent.,  (d) 25 per cent., and  (e) 30 per cent. of pupils have been excluded in any one 12 month period in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many incidents of violence towards  (a) staff and  (b) pupils were reported in the 10 per cent. of (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools with the (A) lowest and (B) highest levels of free school meal entitlement in the latest year for which data are available;
	(4)  how many incidents of violence towards  (a) staff and  (b) pupils were reported in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the 10 per cent. of areas of (A) lowest and (B) highest deprivation in the latest year for which data are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended more than  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three pupil referral units in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on pupil referral units is not collected centrally.

Pupil Referral Units: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were excluded from pupil referral units for assaulting  (a) teachers and  (b) other pupils in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on exclusions from pupil referral units is only available for the school years 2003/04 and 2004/05 and this is shown in the following table. Information on the reasons for exclusion is only available at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Pupil referral units: number and percentage of exclusions,2003/04 and 2004/05, England 
			   Permanent exclusions  Fixed period exclusions 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2003/04  2004/05 
			   Number  Percentage( 1)  Number  Percentage( 1)  Number  Percentage( 1)  Number  Percentage( 1) 
			 England(2) 30 0.26 40 0.28 5,780 44.34 7,630 52.75 
			 (1) The number of exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils in pupil referral units. (2) National figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Termly Exclusions Survey.

Pupil Referral Units: Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils at pupil referral units had  (a) statemented and  (b) non-statemented educational needs, broken down by type of need.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of pupils at pupil referral units with special educational needs, either with a statement or without a statement, can be found in tables 1a and 1b of the 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2008' Statistical First Release accessible via
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/PB/SFR/s000794/index.shtml.
	Information broken down further by type of need is not held centrally.

Pupils: Dyslexia

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of school students were dyslexic in 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the number of pupils with dyslexia is not collected centrally. Pupils categorised as having a 'Specific Learning Difficulty' have a particular difficulty in learning to read, write, spell or manipulate numbers and this includes pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. The number and percentage of pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties in 2007 (either with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) or supported at SEN School Action Plus, where the school involves external support/advice to meet the child's needs) can be found in table 9 of the 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2007' Statistical First Release accessible via the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000732/index.shtml
	The Department does not collect data on the particular special education needs of pupils at School Action (who represent more than half of all children with SEN).

Schools: Admissions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children did not achieve a place at the secondary school of their choice in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This is the first year that local authorities have been required to provide data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers made to parents on national offer day. The data were published on the DCSF research gateway
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway
	on 11 March at local authority, regional and national levels. Figures for Lancashire show that 13 per cent. (1,748) of children did not obtain a place at their first choice of secondary school. We do not collect data on primary school offers.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of funding for schools in England was directed to students with special needs and learning difficulties in 2007-08; and what proportion of the school student body they comprised.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: During the 2007-08 financial year, local authorities in England budgeted to spend almost 4.9 billion on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs. This 4.9 billion represents a 76.0 per cent. increase since the 2000-01 financial year (comparable data are not available prior to 2000-01) and 12.8 per cent. of local authorities' total planned education revenue expenditure for 2007-08. In addition to the planned expenditure of almost 4.9 billion, local authorities in England also budgeted a further 554.9 million for SEN transport during 2007-08.
	As at January 2008, 20 per cent. of pupils had special educational needs (SEN), 2.8 per cent. had SEN 'statements' and 17.2 per cent. had SEN without statements. Much of the expenditure on the latter group will come from schools' general budgets and will not be included within the 4.9 billion identified for SEN.

Teenage Pregnancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of girls aged  (a) 12,  (b) 13,  (c) 14,  (d) 15 and  (e) 16 were recorded as being pregnant in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the rates of conception were for girls aged (a) 12, (b) 13, (c) 14, (d) 15 and (e) 16 in each of the last five years. (228727)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
	To preserve confidentiality of individuals, figures for girls aged 12 and 13 are not available separately. The numbers and rates of conceptions to (a, b) all girls aged under 14, and girls aged (c) 14, (d) 15 and (e) 16 in England and Wales, 2002 to 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table.
	
		
			  Conceptions by age: number and rate per 1.000. England and Wales, 2002-06 
			   Under 14  14  15  16 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			 2002 390 1.2 1,858 5.5 5,627 17.1 13,475 41.6 
			 2003 334 1.0 1,888 5.7 5,802 17.2 13,303 40.3 
			 2004 337 1.0 1,754 5.2 5,524 16.5 13,636 40.0 
			 2005 327 1.0 1,830 5.4 5,773 17.1 13,335 39.4 
			 2006 295 0.9 1,764 5.2 5,767 16.8 13,107 38.6 
			 (1) Conceptions to girls under 14 per 1,000 girls aged 13

TREASURY

Asbestos

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is not available in the format requested, as there are no data available at the constituency level. The following table shows the number of deaths in South Tyneside, the north-east and the United Kingdom, where asbestos was specified as the underlying cause, from 1997 to 2005, which are the latest figures available.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 1)  2005( 1) 
			 South Tyneside 3 0 0 0 1 2 5 3 0 
			 North East 10 8 10 13 14 20 19 19 15 
			 England 55 49 55 57 68 94 96 83 107 
			 (1) Provisional  Note: This excluding cases that also mention mesothelioma  Source: Health and Safety Executive British Asbestosis Register 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of deaths from mesothelioma broken down in the same way.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 1)  2005( 1) 
			 South Tyneside 15 12 8 15 18 9 8 15 10 
			 North East 126 100 119 123 154 127 112 134 159 
			 England 1,181 1,334 1,406 1,425 1,630 1,622 1,642 1,731 1,787 
			 (1) Provisional  Source: Health and Safety Executive British Mesothelioma Register 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of admissions to hospital where the primary diagnosis refers to pleural plaques for residents of South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT), North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) (formerly Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA, prior to 2006-07) and England for 1997-98 to 2006-07. This is not the same as how many people have required treatment for pleural plaques as not everyone in need of treatment is admitted to hospital. Also, the number of admissions does not necessarily represent the number of patients as a patient may be admitted to hospital more than once.
	
		
			   South Tyneside PCT  North East SHA (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA prior to 2006-07)  England 
			 2006-07 * 33 570 
			 2005-06 7 37 508 
			 2004-05 6 30 433 
			 2003-04 7 25 379 
			 2002-03 * 22 357 
			 2001-02 0 32 352 
			 2000-01 * 23 337 
			 1999-2000 * 26 283 
			 1998-99 * 23 291 
			 1997-98 * 15 245 
			  Notes: 1. Small numbers: Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with '*' (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed in order to protect patient confidentiality. 2. Quality of care: Data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) cannot be used in isolation to evaluate the quality of care provided by NHS trusts. There are many factors that can affect the outcome of treatment and it is beyond the scope of HES to adequately record and present all of these. 3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 5. Primary diagnosis: The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. The ICD-10 codes used to identify pleural plaques are: J92.0Pleural plaque with presence of asbestos. J92.9Pleural plaque without asbestos. 6. Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary diagnosis: These figures represent the number of episodes where the diagnosis was recorded in the primary diagnosis field in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. 7. Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 8. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.

Bank Services

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what legislative powers the Government recently froze the assets of Icelandic banks in the United Kingdom.

Ian Pearson: The Government froze the UK funds of Landsbanki under the power in section 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, 2001. HMG has not frozen any other Icelandic banks. The Act includes a range of provisions. In this instance, use of the power had no relation to the counter-terrorism provisions elsewhere in the Act. The power allows HMG to make a freezing order where action to the detriment of the United Kingdom's economy (or part of it) has been or is likely to be taken by a foreign Government or other person. This was the basis on which the power was used. The Treasury will keep the freezing order under review.

Bank Services: Regulation

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what directions he has given to the Financial Services Authority to improve and make more transparent securitisation and credit default swaps markets.

Ian Pearson: The FSA and HM Treasury are engaged with the UK trade associations involved in developing the market-led Ten Industry Initiatives to Increase Transparency in the Securitisation Market. These 10 initiatives are in response to the European Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) October 2007 Roadmap, and have been submitted to the European Commission.

Banks: Incentives

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the bank restructuring plan announced on 13 October, board members and other senior executives of banks in receipt of recapitalisation funds and investment capital from public funds will be permitted to receive any non-cash bonuses in the form of share options, pension benefits or other non-cash end-of-year benefits.

Ian Pearson: As part of its investment, the Government have agreed a range of commitments with banks accessing the capitalisation scheme. The Government expect that no cash bonuses will be paid to Directors in the current year. Going forward, and to ensure that taxpayers' interests as shareholders in the bank are protected, and the performance of the company enhanced, directors' remuneration will be linked to long-term value creation and take account of risk.
	The terms have been agreed on a case-by-case basis with banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme, although elements are common to all participating banks.

Credit Unions

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of credit unions there are.

Ian Pearson: The total number of credit union members in Great Britain as at end December 2007 (based on the annual supervisory returns submitted by credit unions to the FSA) was 675,789 with a breakdown as follows:
	
		
			   Number of credit union members 
			 Qualifying members 580,101 
			 Non-qualifying members 11,903 
			 Juvenile depositors(1) 83,785 
			 (1 )Persons too young to be members or hold shares. 
		
	
	There are in addition 419,364 members in 180 credit unions in Northern Ireland.

Credit Unions

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what credit unions were registered in each region of the UK in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The breakdown of credit union registrations in the UK by region since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Scotland 11 10 8 5 2 3 1 3 0 2 1 0 46 
			 Wales 2 3 4 4 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 18 
			 England(1) 37 34 38 31 20 28 10 12 10 8 2 1 231 
			 Northern Ireland  5 6  2 1 1  15 
			 Total 50 52 56 40 25 32 12 16 12 10 4 1 310 
			 (1) East Midlands, East of England, Greater London, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many agencies were sponsored by his Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Angela Eagle: The Next Steps Report 1997 (Cm3889) provided information on all Executive Agencies as at 31 December 1997. The most up-to-date list of Executive Agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication The List of Ministerial Responsibilities. The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly.

Fireworks: Imports

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are in place to ensure that containers of imported fireworks leaving UK ports of entry are taken directly to the licensed site address provided to HM Revenue and Customs by the importer.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	Regulation 11 of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 requires all firework importers to notify HM Revenue and Customs of their name and address, the name of the person who is to store the fireworks following importation and the address of the premises at which the fireworks are to be stored following their importation. This information is passed to Suffolk county council trading standards department who act as national co-ordinators and pass this information on to the relevant local authorities and or the Health and Safety Executive to notify them to expect a consignment of fireworks to a company in their area. This trigger should ensure that a company is visited to make sure that the fireworks have arrived.

Income Tax: Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 376W, on income tax: prisoners, what his policy is on the payment of income tax by prisoners.

Stephen Timms: Like other individuals, prisoners pay income tax in accordance with the law.

Inspections

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many inspectors were employed by his Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Angela Eagle: None.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs received the letter dated 24 September from the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on his constituent, reference chm/09440/2008; and when he expects the matter to be resolved.

Stephen Timms: The acting chief executive received a letter dated 16 September from my right hon. Friend on 22 September, to which he replied on 21 October.

Mortgages: Compensation

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the merits of setting up a compensation scheme to assist mortgage holders facing negative equity as a result of the mis-selling of mortgages by banks.

Ian Pearson: In 2004 the Government extended the scope of Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation to cover mortgages. FSA regulation ensures that borrowers are afforded suitable protections. FSA regulation also provides appropriate means of redress for borrowers through recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS) provides compensation for borrowers in case a financial institution is unable to meet its liabilities.

Powers of Entry

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many powers of entry have been established in legislation introduced by his Department since 1997; and how many have been abolished.

Angela Eagle: I refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1060W. All of the provisions referred to in that reply are still in force.
	As the reply given by the Minister of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East on 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 577W said, his review into powers of entry is establishing the continuing need for existing powers.

Private Finance Initiative

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 5796W, on the private finance initiative, on how many occasions one party has failed to meet its obligation under a contract; on how many occasions a contract failure has led to contract re-negotiations; and on how many occasions a contract failure has led to a reversion to public ownership.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 17 October 2008
	The information requested is not available.

Public Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of Government in the UK, including local government, in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Yvette Cooper: Latest figures for total managed expenditure are  (a) 583.0 billion for 2007-08 and  (b) 322.0 billion for 1997-98. This information can be found in the latest Public Sector Finances Databank at (Table B1):
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/5552.htm
	Total managed expenditure is a measure of current and capital expenditure for the whole of the public sector, including public corporations and local government.

Public Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's overall potential financial liability is as a result of the measures taken to support the British banking system in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: The extent to which additional financial liabilities will come on to the public sector balance sheet depends on decisions over classification yet to be taken by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). On 16 October 2008 the ONS made an announcement on the processsee:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, as the Chancellor set out in his statement the House on 13 October 2008 any additional borrowing and debt incurred by the Government is either in return for assets, charged at commercial rates or in the form of a temporary loan to the banks. So the most appropriate measures of Government borrowing and debt to judge the position of the public finances will be ones that exclude the Government's stake in the banking sector.

Public Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department last reviewed the notional cost of capital used in departmental resource accounts; what recent estimate he has made of the difference between the notional cost and the actual cost of financing Government borrowing; and when he plans next to review the notional cost used.

Yvette Cooper: The cost of capital charge in departmental resource accounts is set at the social time preference rate. This is the rate at which society values spending in the present compared to the future. It was set in 2003 and operation of the charge is kept under review.

Repossession Orders

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many repossessions have been  (a) sought and  (b) secured by Northern Rock in each (i) week and (ii) month since May 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr (Adam Price) on 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 728W.

Shipping: Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average financial effect on seafarers if the seafarers' earnings deduction is removed;
	(2)  if he will review the decision of HM Revenue and Customs to remove the seafarers' earnings deduction.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is not removing seafarers' earnings deduction (SED). Rather HMRC will revise its guidance on SED to reflect a decision made by the Special Commissioners, an independent appellate body, in the case of Torr and Others  v. CIR (SpC679). The great majority of seafarers who claim SED will not be affected by this decision.
	I am aware of the concerns raised by the Special Commissioners decision in this case, which centred on whether the vessel on which the appellants performed their duties was a ship or an 'offshore installation' within the meaning of the legislation. The Special Commissioners decided it had been operating as an offshore installation, and refused the appellants' claims to SED.
	Broadly speaking, an offshore installation is a vessel that is engaged in exploiting mineral resources and is not mobile while doing so.
	HMRC has written to tax practitioners about this decision and will discuss implementation with interested stakeholders before the revised guidance is issued.

Tax Havens

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking in association with his international counterparts to extend financial regulation to tax havens.

Ian Pearson: The Government's policy is to encourage all offshore financial centres to meet the highest standards of regulation and supervision, and to comply with international initiatives to eliminate unfair tax practices. To this end the Government have been working with international organisations such as the Financial Stability Forum, the Financial Action Task Force, the OECD, and also with EU partners.

Taxation: Aviation

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the proposed new aviation duty on  (a) regional airports and  (b) regional economies related to them.

Angela Eagle: I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) and for Newcastle Upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1008W.

VAT: Imports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Revenue and Customs, Guernsey Post and the Government of Guernsey which establishes the conditions for participation in the scheme to allow low value consignment relief from value added tax for imports of products to the United Kingdom from Guernsey; and what assessment he has made of the applicability of that scheme to products which  (a) contain illegal ingredients and  (b) about which claims are made which would be illegal were the products to have been placed on the United Kingdom market;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Revenue and Customs, Jersey Post and the Government of Jersey which establishes the conditions for participation in the scheme to allow value consignment relief from value added tax for imports of products to the United Kingdom from Jersey; and what assessment he has made of the applicability of that scheme to products which  (a) contain illegal ingredients and  (b) about which claims are made which would be illegal were the products to have been placed on the United Kingdom market.

Stephen Timms: The Memorandum of Understanding with Jersey and Guernsey is currently under review. The MoU establishes an administrative arrangement for import VAT to be collected at the point of sale by the Guernsey postal authorities rather than at import into the UK.
	Companies exporting to the UK from Guernsey include the import VAT in their charges to the customer and pass it on to the Guernsey postal authorities, who in turn pay it to HM Treasury.
	This arrangement is separate from the low value consignment relief rules, which are set out in EU legislation and transposed into UK law as the Value Added Tax (Imported Goods) Relief (Amendment) Order 1995.
	This provides relief from import VAT on consignments of goods not exceeding 18 in value. No customs duty is due on goods imported into the UK from the Channel Islands because, although the Islands are outside the EU for fiscal purposes, they are members of the EU Customs Union.
	All imports from the Channel Islands are subject to the standard Customs checks for illegal goods, irrespective of whether they have been imported under the low value consignment relief and/or pre-payment of VAT arrangements.

Working Tax Credit

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those eligible for the child care element of the working tax credit received it in each year since it was introduced.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the average number of families benefiting from the child care element of working tax credit are provided in table 2.4 of the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised annual awards, for each relevant year. These are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personaltax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Information on the total number of families eligible for the child care element is not available.